CVE-2024-38524 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) Information Exposure vulnerability in org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2024-38524 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
GWC Home Page communicate version and revision information
Real-World Exposure
org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app☕org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app☕org.geoserver:gs-gwc☕org.geoserver:gs-gwcReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. org.geowebcache.GeoWebCacheDispatcher.handleFrontPage(HttpServletRequest, HttpServletResponse) has no check to hide potentially sensitive information from users except for a hidden system property to hide the storage locations that defaults to showing the locations. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.26.2 and 2.25.6.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app | ≥ 2.26.0&&< 2.26.2 | 2.26.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app | all versions | 2.25.6 |
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver:gs-gwc | ≥ 2.26.0&&< 2.26.2 | 2.26.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver:gs-gwc | all versions | 2.25.6 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app to 2.26.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-38524 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2024-38524 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2024-38524. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-38524 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2024-38524 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.