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CVE-2026-76904 – Unauthenticated SQL Injection (leading to potential RCE) – GeoTools 30.5–33.5, 34.0

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Summary

CVE-2026-76904 is a critical, unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in GeoTools, the open-source geospatial data library used by GeoServer and other GIS applications. The flaw resides in the jsonArrayContains OGC filter function of the PostGIS DataStore implementation, where a user-controlled value is concatenated directly into a generated SQL statement without sanitization. Because the vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction and can be triggered over the network, it carries a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 (Critical), and depending on database privileges it can escalate to remote code execution.

Technical details

  • Root cause: The jsonArrayContains(<column>, <pointer>, <value>) filter function, implemented in the PostGIS filter-to-SQL translation logic (gt-jdbc-postgis module), writes the <value> parameter into the generated SQL query without escaping or parameterization.
  • Trigger conditions: Exploitable only when GeoTools/GeoServer is backed by a PostGIS datastore running PostGIS 12 or later, with a layer containing a String or JSON-typed field that can be targeted via an OGC Filter using jsonArrayContains.
  • Attack vector: Network-based; an attacker sends a crafted OGC filter request (e.g., via WFS/WMS requests handled by GeoServer or any application embedding the vulnerable GeoTools module) containing malicious SQL in the <value> argument.
  • Impact: Full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the backing database. This is a regression of the earlier CVE-2023-25158 issue, specific to the jsonArrayContains function — the previous mitigation (enabling prepared statements and disabling encode functions) does not prevent this vulnerability. If the database connection used by GeoServer/GeoTools has elevated privileges (e.g., PostgreSQL superuser or a role with program-execution rights), the flaw can be leveraged to achieve operating system command execution.

Affected software

  • GeoTools versions 30.5 up to 33.5
  • GeoTools versions 34.0 up to 34.4
  • GeoTools version 35.0
  • Applications and platforms bundling these GeoTools versions with a PostGIS datastore (notably GeoServer builds incorporating the affected GeoTools releases) inherit this vulnerability when PostGIS 12+ is in use.

Severity

  • CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.8 (Critical)
  • Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Upgrade to the patched GeoTools releases: 33.6, 34.5, or 35.1 (or later). Users running GeoServer should upgrade to the corresponding fixed distributions: GeoServer 2.27.6, 2.28.5, or 3.0.1.
  • If patching cannot be applied immediately: The official advisory states no complete workaround exists — configuring the PostGIS database connection pool to use a role with the minimum necessary privileges (avoiding superuser or program-execution rights) can reduce the potential impact if exploitation occurs, but does not close the injection itself. Restricting network exposure of GeoServer/GeoTools instances and monitoring database logs for anomalous queries against PostGIS-backed layers is also recommended until patches are applied.

References

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