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Full vulnerability report · 2023
CVE-2023-38205High confidence

Adobe ColdFusion Improper Access Control Vulnerability

Adobe · ColdFusion

Official source article: Adobe APSB23-47 ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.

7.5HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Mitigate now

CISA confirms exploitation in the wild and lists 2023-08-10 as the remediation due date.

Mitigation available
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityHighOperational priority:Critical, raised one band.upgradedsince 20 Jul 2023

Evidence used

  • CISA confirms exploitation in the wild.
  • The selected CVSS metric records a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with no user interaction.
  • EPSS is 99.76% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Apply the linked authoritative mitigation while planning the permanent fix.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Increase monitoring for the attack path and post-exploitation behaviour described in the report.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs Adobe ColdFusion and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Recheck the vendor advisory before scheduling a change because no verified fixed version is currently retained.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 3 daysRemediation target: Within 90 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2023-42025

CISA KEV mirrored by ENISA

Adobe ColdFusion versions 2018u18 (and earlier), 2021u8 (and earlier) and 2023u2 (and earlier) are affected by an Improper Access Control vulnerability that could result in a Security feature bypass. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to access the administration CFM and CFC endpoints. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Recorded by ENISA since 20 Jul 2023. Evidence sources: cisa_kev.
ENISA score
7.5 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
1 linked advisory record
Recommended actionMitigate now

CISA confirms exploitation in the wild and lists 2023-08-10 as the remediation due date.

Mitigation available
01

What, why and how

Adobe ColdFusion contains an improper access control vulnerability that allows for a security feature bypass.

What

Adobe ColdFusion contains an improper access control vulnerability that allows for a security feature bypass.

Why

The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

Adobe ColdFusion contains an improper access control vulnerability that allows for a security feature bypass.

Why

The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
Confirmed in the wild

CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2023-07-20.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

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
a network path → Improper Access Control → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
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-284 ↗

CWE-284: Improper Access Control. The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing 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.INoneIntegrity impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-284CISA KEV
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2023-42025Known-exploited evidence recorded

Adobe ColdFusion versions 2018u18 (and earlier), 2021u8 (and earlier) and 2023u2 (and earlier) are affected by an Improper Access Control vulnerability that could result in a Security feature bypass. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to access the administration CFM and CFC endpoints. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.

Official EUVD record ↗
BSI · German · WID-SEC-2023-1838Adobe ColdFusion: Mehrere Schwachstellen

Ein entfernter, anonymer Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in Adobe ColdFusion ausnutzen, um beliebigen Programmcode auszuführen oder Sicherheitsvorkehrungen zu umgehen.

Official advisory ↗
Canadian Centre for Cyber Security · English · AV23-428Adobe security advisory (AV23-428)

On July 19, 2023, Adobe published a security advisory to address vulnerabilities in the following products: Adobe has received reports that CVE-2023-38205 has been exploited.

Official advisory ↗
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore · English · CSA-SB-20230920Security Bulletin 20 Sep 2023

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore included this CVE in its official Security Bulletin 20 Sep 2023, published on 20 September 2023. Open the linked bulletin for the product, severity and reference information published in that issue.

Official advisory ↗
CERT-FR · French · CERTFR-2023-AVI-0569Multiples vulnérabilités dans Adobe ColdFusion

De multiples vulnérabilités ont été découvertes dans Adobe ColdFusion. Elles permettent à un attaquant de provoquer une exécution de code arbitraire à distance et un contournement de la politique de sécurité. Adobe indique que la vulnérabilité CVE-2023-38205 est activement exploitée dans le cadre d'attaques ciblées.

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2023-013055アドビの Adobe ColdFusion における脆弱性

アドビの Adobe ColdFusion には、不特定の脆弱性が存在します。

Official advisory ↗
KISA KrCERT/CC · Korean · KNVD-5959Adobe 제품 보안 업데이트 권고

권고 ##### □ 설명 o Adobe의 ColdFusion에서 임의 코드 실행 가능한 신뢰할 수 없는 데이터의 역 직렬화 취약점 (CVE-2023-29300 등 2건) [2] [3] o Adobe의 ColdFusion에서 보안 기능 우회 가능한 부적절한 접근 제어 취약점 (CVE-2023-29298 등 3건) [2] [3] o Adobe의 ColdFusion에서 보안 기능 우회 가능한 부적절한 인증 취약점 (CVE-2023-29301) [2] ##### □ 영향받는 제품 및 해결 방안 | 취약점 | 제품명 | 영향받는 버전 | 해결 버전 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | CVE-2023-29298 CVE-2023-29300 CVE-2023-29301 | ColdFusion 2018 | Update 16 및 이전 버전 | Update 17 | | CVE-2023-29298 CVE-2023-29300 CVE-2023-29301 | ColdFusion 2021 | Update 6 및 이전 버전 | Update 7 | | CVE-2023-29298 CVE-2023-29300 CVE-2023-29301 | ColdFusion 2023 | 정식 출시(2023.0.0.330468) | Update 1 | | CVE-2023-38204 CVE-2023-38205 CVE-2023-38206 | ColdFusion 2018 | Update 18 및 이전 버전 | Update 19 | | CVE-2023-38204 CVE-2023-38205 CVE-2023-38206 | ColdFusion 2021 | Update 8 및 이전 버전 | Update 9 | | CVE-2023-38204 CVE-2023-38205 CVE-2023-38206 | ColdFusion 2023 | Update 2 및 이전 버전 | Update 3 | ※ 하단의 참고사이트를 확인하여 업데이트 수행 [2] [3] ##### □ 기타 문의사항 o 한국인터넷진흥원 사이버민원센터: 국번없이 118 [참고사이트] [1] https://helpx.adobe.com/security.html [2] https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb23-40.html [3] https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb23-47.html ##### □ 작성 : 침해사고분석단 취약점분석팀 --- 키워드 [Adobe](https://knvd.krcert.or.kr/keywordResult?searchOption=KEYWORD&content=Ad

Official advisory ↗
KISA KrCERT/CC · Korean · KNVD-5958현재 악용되고 있는 Exploit(Update. 2023-07-20)

Adobe ColdFusion contains an improper access control vulnerability that allows for a security feature bypass.

Official advisory ↗
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
Affected
ColdFusion: ≤ cf2023U2
Fixed
No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
Action
ColdFusion 2018: Update 19 ColdFusion 2021: Update 9 ColdFusion 2023: Update 3
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 14 Sept 2023 · Last source change 21 Oct 2025, 23:05 UTC · CWE-284 · Improper Access Control

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2023-42025
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD enriched

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: removed remediation: knvd.krcert.or.kr/detail?id=64ba32efe54d111b872254e4.
    Before
    remediation: knvd.krcert.or.kr/detail?id=64ba32efe54d111b872254e4 · vendor advisory: helpx.adobe.com/apsb23-47.html
    After
    vendor advisory: helpx.adobe.com/apsb23-47.html
    helpx.adobe.com ↗
  2. Remediation statusRemediation status changed from Mitigation available to Awaiting fix.
    Before
    Mitigation available
    After
    Awaiting fix
    helpx.adobe.com ↗
  3. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    ≤ cf2023U2 · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    After
    ColdFusion: ≤ cf2023U2 · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    CNA ↗
  4. Remediation statusRemediation status changed from Awaiting fix to Mitigation available.
    Before
    Awaiting fix
    After
    Mitigation available
    KISA KrCERT/CC ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Added to CISA KEV
Remediation guidance recorded
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2023-42025↗KISA KrCERT/CC remediation guidance↗CISA KEV record↗CVE authority or vendor reference · Adobe APSB23-47↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
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.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2023-38205 · cve.blacktree.nl