GHSA-8g7v-vjrc-x4g5
HIGHGHSA-8g7v-vjrc-x4g5 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.2) Path Traversal vulnerability in org.geoserver:gs-main. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-8g7v-vjrc-x4g5 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
GeoServer log file path traversal vulnerability
Real-World Exposure
org.geoserver:gs-mainReal-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
Impact
This vulnerability requires GeoServer Administrator with access to the admin console to misconfigured the Global Settings for log file location to an arbitrary location.
This can be used to read files via the admin console GeoServer Logs page. It is also possible to leverage RCE or cause denial of service by overwriting key GeoServer files.
Patches
This issue has been addressed in GeoServer 3.0.0:
- The Global Settings page can no longer be used to specify log file location
- The application parameter
GEOSERVER_LOG_LOCATIONmechanism (outlined below) is now the only approach available to customize the log file location.
Workarounds
A system administrator responsible for running GeoServer can define the GEOSERVER_LOG_FILE parameter, preventing the global setting provided from being used.
The GEOSERVER_LOG_LOCATION parameter can be set as system property, environment variable, or servlet context parameter.
Environmental variable:
export GEOSERVER_LOG_LOCATION=/var/opt/geoserver/logs
System property:
-DGEOSERVER_LOG_LOCATION=/var/opt/geoserver/logs
Web application WEB-INF/web.xml:
<context-param>
<param-name> GEOSERVER_LOG_LOCATION </param-name>
<param-value>/var/opt/geoserver/logs</param-value>
</context-param>
Tomcat conf/Catalina/localhost/geoserver.xml:
<Context>
<Parameter name="GEOSERVER_LOG_LOCATION"
value="/var/opt/geoserver/logs" override="false"/>
</Context>
References
- Upgrading GeoServer 3
- Log location (User Manual)
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver:gs-main | all versions | No fix |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.geoserver:gs-main. 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.
Remediation status
No patched version of org.geoserver:gs-main has shipped for GHSA-8g7v-vjrc-x4g5 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
Mitigate without a patch
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 GHSA-8g7v-vjrc-x4g5 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 GHSA-8g7v-vjrc-x4g5. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-8g7v-vjrc-x4g5 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-8g7v-vjrc-x4g5 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.