GHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf
MEDIUMGHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in org.geoserver:gs-wms. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Unsecured WMS dynamic styling sld=<url> parameter affords blind unauthenticated SSRF
Blast Radius
org.geoserver:gs-wms☕org.geoserver:gs-wms☕org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app☕org.geoserver.web:gs-web-appReal-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
Summary
The WMS specification defines an sld=<url> parameter for GetMap, GetLegendGraphic and GetFeatureInfo operations for user supplied "dynamic styling". Enabling the use of dynamic styles, without also configuring URL checks, provides the opportunity for Service Side Request Forgery.
It is possible to use this for "Blind SSRF" on the WMS endpoint to steal NetNTLMv2 hashes via file requests to malicious servers.
Details
This vulnerability requires:
- WMS Settings dynamic styling being enabled
- Security URL checks to be disabled, or to be enabled and allowing
file:\\*access
Impact
This vulnerability can be used to steal user NetNTLMv2 hashes which could be relayed or cracked externally to gain further access.
Mitigation
The ability to reference an external URL location is defined by the WMS standard GetMap, GetFeatureInfo and GetLegendGraphic operations. These operations are defined by an Industry and International standard and cannot be redefined by the GeoServer application in isolation.
To disable dynamic styling on GeoServer 2.10.3 and GeoServer 2.11.1:
- Navigate to Services > WMS Settings page
- Locate Dynamic styling heading
- Select the Disable usage of SLD and SLD_BODY parameters in GET requests and user styles in POST checkbox.
Resolution
To allow dynamic styling safely on GeoServer 2.22.5 and GeoServer 2.23.2:
- Navigate to Security > URL Checks
- Enable URL Checks are enabled setting
- Check the user manual for examples of how to trust specific locations:
^https://styles\.server\.net/cartography/.*$ - Enable dynamic styling on the Services > WMS Settings page, deselect the Disable usage of SLD and SLD_BODY parameters in GET requests and user styles in POST checkbox.
Use of dynamic styling safely is on by default in GeoServer 2.24.0.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver:gs-wms | all versions | 2.22.5 |
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver:gs-wms | ≥ 2.23.0&&< 2.23.2 | 2.23.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app | all versions | 2.22.5 |
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app | ≥ 2.23.0&&< 2.23.2 | 2.23.2 |
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-wms. 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:gs-wms to 2.22.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf 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 GHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf 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-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf. 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-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.