Cyber Threat Intelligence
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HIGH · CVSS 7.5 CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability

CVE-2023-38205

Adobe ColdFusion Improper Access Control Vulnerability

Adobe ColdFusion

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.

CVSS
7.5
HIGH
EPSS
99.8%
30-day exploitation
Ransomware groups
0
recorded exploiting
Published
14 Sep 2023
CWE-284

Exploitation status

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Listed by CISA on 20 July 2023. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 10 August 2023.

EPSS — exploitation probability

FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 99.8%, which is higher than 99.9% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Frequently asked questions

Is CVE-2023-38205 being exploited by ransomware groups?

No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2023-38205.

What does CVE-2023-38205 affect?

CVE-2023-38205 affects Adobe ColdFusion. 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.

How severe is CVE-2023-38205?

CVE-2023-38205 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.5. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 99.8%, higher than 99.9% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 10 August 2023.

How should organisations respond to CVE-2023-38205?

Apply the vendor patch for Adobe ColdFusion as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.