Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- Exploitation requires an existing local or physical foothold with privileges.
- EPSS is 0.70% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2018
CVE-2018-4938High confidence
Adobe ColdFusion Update 5 and earlier versions, ColdFusion 11 Update 13 and earlier versions have an exploitable Insecure Library Loading vulnerability
Unknown · Adobe ColdFusion ColdFusion Update 5 and earlier versions, ColdFusion 11 Update 13 and earlier versions
Official source article: Adobe APSB18-14 ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.
7.8HighCVSS 3.1
Within 7 days
Mitigation availableHigh technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityHigh→Operational priority:Medium, lowered one band.downgradedsince 6 May 2025
Compensating controls
- Apply the linked authoritative mitigation while planning the permanent fix.
- Restrict local access and enforce least privilege on affected hosts.
- Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs Unknown Adobe ColdFusion ColdFusion Update 5 and earlier versions, ColdFusion 11 Update 13 and earlier versions and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Recheck the vendor advisory before scheduling a change because no verified fixed version is currently retained.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
Mitigation available01
What, why and how
Adobe ColdFusion Update 5 and earlier versions, ColdFusion 11 Update 13 and earlier versions have an exploitable Insecure Library Loading vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to local privilege escalation.
What
Adobe ColdFusion Update 5 and earlier versions, ColdFusion 11 Update 13 and earlier versions have an exploitable Insecure Library Loading vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to local privilege escalation.
Why
The product uses a fixed or controlled search path to find resources, but one or more locations in that path can be under the control of unintended actors.
How
An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may gain additional privileges.
What
Adobe ColdFusion Update 5 and earlier versions, ColdFusion 11 Update 13 and earlier versions have an exploitable Insecure Library Loading vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to local privilege escalation.
Why
The product uses a fixed or controlled search path to find resources, but one or more locations in that path can be under the control of unintended actors.
How
An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may gain additional privileges.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material None recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
- Likely attack path
- local access → Uncontrolled Search Path Element → gain additional privileges
- Attack surface
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low: a basic authenticated account is required
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
- Security boundary
- Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-427 ↗
CWE-427: Uncontrolled Search Path Element. The product uses a fixed or controlled search path to find resources, but one or more locations in that path can be under the control of unintended actors.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVLocalAttack vector: The attacker needs local access to the vulnerable system.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRLowPrivileges required: The attacker needs basic user-level privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.AHighAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- The issue can support a local privilege or sandbox boundary transition; normal system utilities may then be available in the gained context.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Mitigation available
- Action
- o Adobe Flash Player 사용자 - Windows, Mac, Linux 환경의 Adobe Flash Player Desktop runtime 사용자는 29.0.0.140 버전으로 업데이트 적용 · Adobe Flash Player Download Center(https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/)에 방문하여 최신 버전을 설치하거나, 자동 업데이트를 이용하여 업그레이드 - Adobe Flash Player가 설치된 Google Chrome는 자동으로 최신 업데이트 버전 적용 - Windows 10 및 Windows 8.1에서 Microsoft Edge, 인터넷 익스플로러 11에 Adobe Flash Player를 설치한 사용자는 자동으로 최신 업데이트가 적용 o Adobe Experience Manager 사용자 - Adobe Experience Manager 사용자는 아래 링크를 참고하여 사용 중인 버전에 해당하는 업데이트 적용 ※ 참고 : https://helpx.adobe.com/experience-manager/aem-releases-updates.html-2 o Adobe InDesign 사용자 - 윈도우즈, 맥 환경의 Adobe InDesign 사용자는 13.1 버전으로 업데이트 적용 ※ 참고 : https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/release-note/indesign-cc-march-2018-13-1-release-notes.html o Adobe Digital Editions 사용자 - 윈도우즈, 맥, iOS, 안드로이드환경의 Adobe Digital Editions 사용자는 4.5.8 버전으로 업데이트 적용 ※ 윈도우즈, 맥 다운로드 : https://www.adocbe.com/solutions/ebook/digital-editions/download.html ※ iOS 다운로드 : https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-digital-editions/id952977781?mt=8 ※ 안드로이드 다운로드 : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.digitaleditions o Adobe ColdFusion 사용자 - ColdFusion (2016 버전) 사용자는 https://helpx.adobe.com/coldfusion/kb/coldfusion-2016-update-6.html 사이트에 방문하여 핫픽스 설치 - ColdFusion 11 사용자는 https://helpx.adobe.com/coldfusion/kb/coldfusion-11-update-14.htmll 사이트에 방문하여 핫픽스 설치
- Workaround
- No verified workaround is recorded. Limit untrusted access and use least privilege until authoritative guidance is available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 19 May 2018 · Last source change 6 May 2025, 14:51 UTC · CWE-427 · Uncontrolled Search Path Element
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceNIST NVD
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-09-01
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2018-16723
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCISA ADP
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment
Missing structured fields: affected product. Missing data is not evidence of low risk; review the primary advisory.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
- ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2018-16723 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.ENISA EUVD ↗
- Before
- not recorded
- After
- {"euvdId":"EUVD-2018-16723"}
- Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: added vendor advisory: helpx.adobe.com/apsb18-14.html.helpx.adobe.com ↗
- Before
- no authoritative guidance recorded
- After
- vendor advisory: helpx.adobe.com/apsb18-14.html
- CVSS scoreCVSS scoring authority changed from CISA ADP to NIST NVD; the displayed base score remained 7.8.NIST NVD ↗
- Before
- 7.8 (CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
- After
- 7.8 (CVSS 3.1 · NIST NVD · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
- Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.CNA ↗
- Remediation statusRemediation status changed from Awaiting fix to Mitigation available.KISA KrCERT/CC ↗
- Before
- Awaiting fix
- After
- Mitigation available
CVE published
Remediation guidance recorded
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.