Atlassian Confluence Server and Data Center OGNL Template Injection Remote Code Execution (RCE) Vulnerability (CVE-2023-22527) Security Advisory
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTOlder versions of Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server (8.0.x, 8.1.x, 8.2.x, 8.3.x, 8.4.x, 8.5.0-8.5.3)
Unauthenticated remote attackers can execute arbitrary system commands (RCE) on the affected instance by sending specially crafted HTTP requests.
Immediately upgrade to the latest patched versions (8.5.4+ or newer LTS releases) provided by Atlassian.
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Atlassian recommends upgrading to the latest secure LTS version (e.g., 8.5.4 or higher). Below is an example of upgrading a Docker-based Confluence deployment to a secure version.
# 1. Stop and remove the vulnerable Confluence container
docker stop confluence-app
docker rm confluence-app
# 2. Pull the secure image (8.5.4+) and restart the container
docker pull atlassian/confluence-datacenter:8.5.4
docker run -d --name confluence-app -v confluence_data:/var/atlassian/application-data/confluence -p 8090:8090 -p 8091:8091 atlassian/confluence-datacenter:8.5.42. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If immediate patching is not feasible, deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block OGNL injection patterns or restrict access to the Confluence web interface. Below is an Nginx reverse proxy configuration to block malicious request patterns.
# Nginx reverse proxy configuration for blocking potential OGNL injection
server {
listen 80;
server_name confluence.internal.local;
location / {
# Block common OGNL payload keywords in URI or arguments
if ($request_uri ~* '(memberAccess|ognl|Runtime|ProcessBuilder|getClass)') {
return 403 'Access Denied: Potential Exploit Detected';
}
proxy_pass http://confluence-backend:8090;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
}
}3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
To detect potential exploitation attempts, inspect Confluence application and access logs for OGNL payloads using the following commands.
# Search Confluence logs for OGNL-related keywords and suspicious payloads
grep -Ei '(memberAccess|ognl|java.lang.Runtime|ProcessBuilder)' /var/atlassian/application-data/confluence/logs/atlassian-confluence.log
# Check for unexpected shell processes spawned by the Confluence user
ps -ef | grep -i 'confluence' | grep -E '(sh|bash|cmd|powershell)'Block Exploits Instantly with Managed Virtual Patching Rules
Can't patch production immediately? Deploy managed WAF rules at the edge to intercept RCE, SQLi, and deserialization payloads before they hit your origin server.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2023-22527) is a critical Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) vulnerability affecting older versions of Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server. The root cause lies in the unsafe evaluation of Object-Graph Navigation Language (OGNL) expressions within templates when processing user-supplied input. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by injecting malicious OGNL expressions into endpoints that do not require authentication.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker sends a crafted HTTP POST request containing malicious OGNL syntax to the vulnerable Confluence instance. The template engine (such as Velocity) parses and evaluates this input, executing the embedded OGNL expressions. This allows the attacker to bypass sandbox restrictions, instantiate Java classes like 'java.lang.Runtime' or 'java.lang.ProcessBuilder', and execute arbitrary operating system commands, potentially leading to a reverse shell.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
With a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical) and its inclusion in the CISA KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities) catalog, this vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild. Successful exploitation grants full control over the affected server, enabling attackers to exfiltrate sensitive corporate data, deploy ransomware, or pivot deeper into the internal enterprise network, posing an extreme risk to business continuity.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
A template injection vulnerability on older versions of Confluence Data Center and Server allows an unauthenticated attacker to achieve RCE on an affected instance. Customers using an affected version must take immediate action. Most recent supported versions of Confluence Data Center and Server are not affected by this vulnerability as it was ultimately mitigated during regular version updates. However, Atlassian recommends that customers take care to install the latest version to protect their instances from non-critical vulnerabilities outlined in Atlassian’s January Security Bulletin.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2023-22527)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2023-22527 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2023-22527 is rated CVSS 9.8 (CRITICAL) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 100.0%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2023-22527?
Primary impacted vendors include atlassian across confluence_data_center, confluence_server. Scope summary: Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server versions 8.0.x, 8.1.x, 8.2.x, 8.3.x, 8.4.x, and 8.5.0 through 8.5.3 (Most recent supported LTS versions are not affected)
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2023-22527 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately upgrade to the latest patched versions (8.5.4+ or newer LTS releases) provided by Atlassian. Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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