GHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf — gs-wms
MEDIUMGHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in org.geoserver:gs-wms. A fix is available for org.geoserver:gs-wms — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Unsecured WMS dynamic styling sld=<url> parameter affords blind unauthenticated SSRF
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,166 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
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 | 2.22.5org.geoserver:gs-wms:2.22.5 |
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver:gs-wms | ≥ 2.23.0&&< 2.23.2 | 2.23.2org.geoserver:gs-wms:2.23.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app | all versions | 2.22.5org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app:2.22.5 |
| ☕Maven | org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app | ≥ 2.23.0&&< 2.23.2 | 2.23.2org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app: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, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
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 Security finds GHSA-cqpc-x2c6-2gmf across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.