CVE-2025-30284 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting multiple versions of Adobe ColdFusion, specifically versions 2023.12, 2021.18, 2025.0, and earlier. The vulnerability is classified as a Deserialization of Untrusted Data issue (CWE-502). This type of vulnerability occurs when an application deserializes data from untrusted sources without proper validation or sanitization, allowing an attacker to manipulate the serialized data to execute arbitrary code. In this case, exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution within the context of the current user, potentially allowing an attacker with high privileges to bypass security protections. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.4, indicating a high severity level. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), but requires high privileges (PR:H) and user interaction (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no known exploits are currently observed in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the potential for remote code execution and privilege escalation. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for mitigation. Adobe ColdFusion is a widely used rapid application development platform for building web applications, often deployed in enterprise environments. The deserialization flaw could be exploited by attackers to execute malicious payloads, compromise sensitive data, disrupt services, or establish persistent footholds within affected systems.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-30284 could be substantial. Many enterprises and public sector entities in Europe rely on Adobe ColdFusion for critical web applications and internal services. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive personal data, intellectual property, and confidential business information, raising compliance concerns under GDPR and other data protection regulations. The ability to execute arbitrary code with high privileges could enable attackers to move laterally within networks, disrupt operations, or deploy ransomware. Given the requirement for user interaction, phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to trigger exploitation, increasing the risk to organizations with large user bases. Additionally, the changed scope implies that the vulnerability could affect multiple components or services beyond the initial ColdFusion instance, amplifying the potential damage. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the high severity score and ease of exploitation (low complexity) suggest that threat actors may develop exploits rapidly, especially targeting high-value European sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and manufacturing.

European organizations should implement a multi-layered mitigation strategy beyond generic patching advice. First, immediately inventory all Adobe ColdFusion instances and verify their versions to identify vulnerable deployments. Since no official patches are currently available, organizations should apply temporary mitigations such as disabling or restricting deserialization features where feasible, or applying strict input validation and sanitization on all data inputs processed by ColdFusion applications. Network segmentation should be enforced to isolate ColdFusion servers from critical infrastructure and limit exposure to untrusted networks. Implement strict access controls and monitor for unusual activity or privilege escalation attempts on ColdFusion servers. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect anomalous code execution patterns. User training should be enhanced to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that could trigger the required user interaction for exploitation. Organizations should also subscribe to Adobe security advisories and prepare to deploy patches promptly once released. Finally, consider deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious serialized payloads targeting ColdFusion applications.