GeoServer log file path traversal vulnerability

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_LOCATION mechanism (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)