CVE-2023-38205VulnerabilityPublished 14 Sep 2023Updated 21 Oct 2025

CVE-2023-38205: Adobe ColdFusion · Improper Access Control

Affects Adobe ColdFusionSource CVE Database V5

Exploited in the wild · KEV due 10 Aug 2023 · public detection template (Nuclei) · 99% EPSS : apply the vendor's fix or mitigations to Adobe ColdFusion now.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 08:30 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.5High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

KEV deadline: 10 Aug 2023 US federal agencies must patch by this date; a sensible deadline for everyone else.
EPSS: 99.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 99% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

t = 0 is the CVE’s publication on cve.org

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 14 Sep 2023
Detectable: evidence found.
nuclei template: Adobe ColdFusion - Access Control Bypass
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: evidence found.
Listed in CISA KEV 56 days before disclosure
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: evidence found.
1 exposed host found; no attack traffic recorded

CVE ID reserved
by Adobe Systems Incorporated
13 Jul 202316:21 UTC, 63 days before disclosure
Added to CISA KEV (opens in a new tab)
exploitation confirmed
20 Jul 2023, 56 days before disclosure
KEV remediation due
US federal deadline
10 Aug 2023, 35 days before disclosure
CVE published
on cve.org
14 Sep 202307:40 UTC, t = 0

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CISA KEV (opens in a new tab), OffSeq Mirage (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Adobe ColdFusion	Affected =0	Fixed in–

Description

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.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality of sensitive administrative data on ColdFusion servers. Unauthorized access to administrative endpoints could lead to exposure of configuration details, credentials, or other sensitive information, increasing the risk of further compromise. Organizations with internet-facing ColdFusion installations are particularly vulnerable to automated scanning and exploitation attempts. The absence of required authentication and user interaction lowers the barrier for attackers, potentially enabling widespread exploitation. Critical sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and utilities using ColdFusion for web applications or internal services may face increased risk of data breaches or targeted attacks. The impact on integrity and availability is currently assessed as low; however, attackers gaining administrative access could leverage this foothold for more damaging activities. The threat is amplified in environments lacking strict network segmentation or endpoint access restrictions.

Mitigation

1. Immediately identify and inventory all Adobe ColdFusion instances within the organization, noting versions to assess exposure. 2. Apply official patches or updates from Adobe as soon as they become available for the affected versions. 3. Until patches are released, restrict access to ColdFusion administrative endpoints (CFM and CFC files) using network-level controls such as firewalls, VPNs, or IP whitelisting to limit exposure to trusted personnel only. 4. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block unauthorized access attempts to administrative paths. 5. Monitor logs for unusual access patterns or attempts to reach administrative endpoints, enabling early detection of exploitation attempts. 6. Enforce strong authentication and multi-factor authentication on administrative interfaces where possible. 7. Conduct security awareness training for administrators managing ColdFusion servers to recognize and respond to suspicious activity. 8. Consider isolating ColdFusion servers from public networks if administrative access is not required externally. 9. Regularly review and harden ColdFusion server configurations to minimize attack surface.

CWE-284Improper Access Control (opens in a new tab)
Pillar weaknessCWE Top 25 (2025): #19OWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
MITRE discourages mapping vulnerabilities to this broad entry; the root cause is usually a more specific weakness.
Architecture and Design · Operation
Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Docker Security (opens in a new tab)
Third Party Javascript Management (opens in a new tab)
Virtual Patching (opens in a new tab)
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V1.4.4 (opens in a new tab)
V1.4.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.10.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Embedding Scripts within Scripts (opens in a new tab)
Modification of Windows Service Configuration (opens in a new tab)
Malicious Root Certificate (opens in a new tab)
Intent Spoof (opens in a new tab)
WebView Exposure (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

Timeline

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 21 Oct 2025, 20:33 UTC

Public exploits and detectiona Nuclei detection template

WeaknessesCWE-284

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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