Adobe ColdFusion Improper Access Control Remote Code Execution (RCE) Vulnerability (CVE-2023-26360) Security Advisory
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTAdobe ColdFusion 2018 Update 15 (and earlier) and 2021 Update 5 (and earlier)
Unauthenticated remote attackers can execute arbitrary code or access sensitive files in the context of the current user without any user interaction
Immediately apply official vendor patches (ColdFusion 2018 Update 16, ColdFusion 2021 Update 6 or later) and restrict external access
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Apply the latest updates according to the official Adobe Security Bulletin (APSB23-25). You can apply the patch via the ColdFusion Administrator console or use the command-line update utility.
# Apply the latest update for ColdFusion 2021 via command line
cd /opt/coldfusion2021/cfusion/bin
./cfupdate.sh -install2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict external access to the ColdFusion Administrator console and internal API paths (/CFIDE, /cf_scripts) using web server access control lists.
# Nginx configuration to restrict access to sensitive ColdFusion paths
server {
listen 80;
server_name localhost;
location ~* ^/(CFIDE|cf_scripts)/ {
allow 10.0.0.0/8;
allow 192.168.0.0/16;
deny all;
}
}3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Use the following command to scan ColdFusion access logs for suspicious CFC invocations or potential exploitation attempts.
# Scan ColdFusion access logs for anomalous CFC method calls
grep -Ei '(\.cfc|\.cfm)\?method=' /opt/coldfusion*/cfusion/logs/access.logBlock 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 stems from an Improper Access Control (CWE-284) flaw within specific endpoints of Adobe ColdFusion. Due to insufficient validation of incoming request parameters and serialized data, an attacker can bypass authentication controls and directly interact with internal class loaders and file handling mechanisms.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker sends a specially crafted HTTP POST request to ColdFusion's remote invocation endpoints (such as CFC paths). By exploiting this, the attacker can perform Local File Inclusion (LFI) to read sensitive configuration files or upload web shells, and abuse internal Java deserialization to execute arbitrary payloads directly in memory. This process requires no user interaction, leading to pre-authentication Remote Code Execution (RCE).
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
This vulnerability is listed in the CISA KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities) catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild. Successful exploitation allows attackers to compromise the underlying system hosting the ColdFusion service, potentially leading to lateral movement, database credential theft, and full infrastructure takeover.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
Adobe ColdFusion versions 2018 Update 15 (and earlier) and 2021 Update 5 (and earlier) are affected by an Improper Access Control vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2023-26360)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2023-26360 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2023-26360 is rated CVSS 8.6 (HIGH) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 97.3%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2023-26360?
Primary impacted vendors include adobe across coldfusion. Scope summary: Adobe ColdFusion 2018 Update 15 and earlier, Adobe ColdFusion 2021 Update 5 and earlier
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2023-26360 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately apply official vendor patches (ColdFusion 2018 Update 16, ColdFusion 2021 Update 6 or later) and restrict external access Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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