Detect OSGeo GeoServer XXE Injection Exploitation Attempt in Microsoft Sentinel
Detects exploitation attempts targeting CVE-2025-58360, an Improper Restriction of XML External Entity (XXE) Reference vulnerability in OSGeo GeoServer. Attackers can submit malicious XML payloads to GeoServer endpoints to perform server-side request forgery, read local files, or exfiltrate data via out-of-band DNS/HTTP channels. This CVE is listed on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
MITRE ATT&CK
KQL Detection Query
union CommonSecurityLog, W3CIIISLog, AzureDiagnostics
| where TimeGenerated > ago(24h)
| where RequestURL has_any ("/geoserver/wfs", "/geoserver/wcs", "/geoserver/wms", "/geoserver/ows")
| where RequestMethod in ("POST", "PUT")
| where RequestBody has_any ("<!ENTITY", "SYSTEM", "<!DOCTYPE", "file://", "http://", "https://", "ftp://")
or RequestURL has_any ("xxe", "entity", "DOCTYPE")
| extend XXEIndicators = dynamic(["<!ENTITY", "SYSTEM ", "<!DOCTYPE", "PUBLIC "])
| extend MatchedIndicators = array_length(set_intersect(todynamic(split(RequestBody, " ")), XXEIndicators))
| project TimeGenerated, RequestURL, RequestMethod, RequestBody, SourceIP, DestinationIP, Computer, MatchedIndicators
| order by TimeGenerated descDetects HTTP POST/PUT requests to GeoServer OGC service endpoints containing XXE injection markers such as ENTITY declarations, SYSTEM identifiers, or DOCTYPE declarations. Covers CommonSecurityLog, W3C IIS logs, and AzureDiagnostics tables.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Legitimate GeoServer clients submitting large XML-based WFS or WCS requests with DOCTYPE declarations for schema validation
- Security scanners and vulnerability assessment tools running authorized scans against GeoServer endpoints
- Internal GIS applications sending XML with SYSTEM references for schema imports
Other platforms for CVE-2025-58360
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 4 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1GeoServer XXE File Disclosure via WFS Request
Expected signal: Web server access log entry showing POST to /geoserver/wfs with 400/500 HTTP response status; GeoServer application log entry with SAXParseException or EntityException referencing file:///etc/passwd; network packet capture showing the XML payload in request body.
- Test 2GeoServer XXE SSRF to Cloud Metadata Endpoint
Expected signal: Outbound HTTP GET request from the GeoServer host to 169.254.169.254 visible in network flow logs or host-based network monitoring; web server log showing POST to /geoserver/wcs with the XXE payload.
- Test 3GeoServer Blind XXE Out-of-Band DNS Exfiltration
Expected signal: Outbound DNS resolution and HTTP GET request from GeoServer host to ATTACKER_DOMAIN visible in DNS logs and network flow telemetry; GeoServer application log may show entity resolution attempts or DTD fetch errors.
- Test 4GeoServer XXE via WMS GetMap Request with Malicious SLD
Expected signal: Web server access log showing GET to /geoserver/wms with SLD_BODY parameter containing DOCTYPE and ENTITY declarations; GeoServer log showing SLD parsing error with reference to file:///etc/hostname.
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