CVE-2023-29298
Adobe ColdFusion Improper Access Control Vulnerability
Description
CVE-2023-29298 is an improper access control vulnerability in Adobe ColdFusion that allows an attacker to bypass security restrictions and access administrative CFM and CFC endpoints without proper authorization. The vulnerability affects Adobe ColdFusion versions 2018 Update 16 and earlier, 2021 Update 6 and earlier, and 2023.0.0.330468 and earlier. Exploitation does not require user interaction, enabling remote attackers to reach sensitive administration functionality that should be restricted. CISA has added CVE-2023-29298 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and the EPSS score of 94.3% (99th percentile) confirms widespread active exploitation of this Adobe ColdFusion security bypass.
KEV Information
CVSS Score
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:NOpen in CalculatorAffected Products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|---|---|
| adobe | coldfusion | 2018; 2021; 2023 |
Multiple CVSS Assessments
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
References
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb23-40.html(Vendor Advisory)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-29298(Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
CWE-284: Improper Access Control
In the context of CVE-2023-29298, the improper access control weakness in Adobe ColdFusion allows attackers to bypass URL-based access restrictions that protect administrative endpoints. The application fails to properly enforce authorization checks on requests to CFM and CFC administration resources, enabling unauthenticated attackers to reach functionality intended only for authorized administrators.
Learn more: CWE-284 — Improper Access Control
Impact Analysis
CVE-2023-29298 carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (High severity), reflecting the significant security bypass it enables in Adobe ColdFusion. Attack Vector (Network): The vulnerability is remotely exploitable without physical access, making any internet-facing ColdFusion instance a potential target. Attack Complexity (Low): Exploitation is straightforward with no special conditions or race windows required. Privileges Required (None): No authentication is needed to exploit the access control bypass, allowing any external attacker to reach protected endpoints. User Interaction (None): The attack is fully automated with no victim action required. Confidentiality Impact (High): Successful exploitation exposes administrative endpoints that can reveal sensitive server configuration, application source code, data source credentials, and other confidential information managed through the ColdFusion administration console. Integrity and Availability (None): The CVSS scoring indicates no direct integrity or availability impact from this vulnerability alone, though access to administrative endpoints can serve as a stepping stone for further attacks that do affect integrity and availability. The EPSS score of 94.3% (99th percentile) confirms that this vulnerability is among the most actively targeted in the current threat landscape.
Exploit Maturity
CVE-2023-29298 is confirmed as actively exploited in the wild, with CISA adding this Adobe ColdFusion access control bypass to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog with a remediation deadline of August 10, 2023. The EPSS score of 94.3% (99th percentile) indicates near-certain exploitation activity across the internet. While the ransomware association is listed as unknown, ColdFusion vulnerabilities have historically been targeted by both financially motivated threat actors and nation-state groups. Chaining potential: CVE-2023-29298 is frequently used as a precursor in multi-stage attacks against Adobe ColdFusion, where the access control bypass enables attackers to reach administrative endpoints that can then be exploited through additional vulnerabilities such as deserialization flaws or remote code execution bugs in the ColdFusion administration interface.
Remediation
- Apply Adobe security updates immediately — Upgrade Adobe ColdFusion to the latest patched versions: ColdFusion 2018 Update 17 or later, ColdFusion 2021 Update 7 or later, and ColdFusion 2023 Update 1 or later, as detailed in Adobe Security Bulletin APSB23-40. If patches cannot be applied, discontinue use of the product as directed by CISA.
- Restrict access to ColdFusion administration endpoints — Implement IP-based access restrictions for all ColdFusion administrative paths (/CFIDE/administrator/, /CFIDE/adminapi/, and related CFM/CFC endpoints). Use a web application firewall (WAF) or reverse proxy to block external access to administrative URLs.
- Apply network segmentation — Place ColdFusion servers in a segmented network zone with strict ingress and egress filtering. Ensure that administrative interfaces are only accessible from dedicated management networks, not from the public internet or general user networks.
- Review access logs for indicators of compromise — Inspect ColdFusion and web server access logs for suspicious requests to /CFIDE/administrator/ and related administrative endpoints, particularly from external IP addresses. Look for unusual access patterns, path manipulation attempts, or requests to CFM/CFC files that should not be publicly accessible.
- Implement defense-in-depth for ColdFusion deployments — Enable ColdFusion's built-in lockdown measures as documented in the ColdFusion Lockdown Guide. Disable unnecessary servlets and endpoints, enable detailed security logging, and implement least-privilege principles for the ColdFusion service account to limit the impact of any successful exploitation.
Technical Details
CVE-2023-29298 exploits an improper access control weakness (CWE-284) in Adobe ColdFusion's URL-based access restriction mechanism that protects administrative CFM and CFC endpoints. Vulnerability mechanism: ColdFusion implements path-based access controls to restrict access to the administration interface (typically under /CFIDE/administrator/), but the access control logic can be bypassed through path manipulation techniques that cause the security filter to fail while the underlying application still processes the request. The CVSS vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) shows that the vulnerability is trivially exploitable over the network without any authentication or user interaction, with high confidentiality impact from the exposure of administrative functionality. Exploitation mechanics: By crafting requests with specific path variations, an attacker can circumvent the URL pattern matching used by ColdFusion's security layer, reaching administration endpoints that expose server configuration details, data source credentials, scheduled tasks, and other sensitive management functions. This access control bypass is particularly dangerous when combined with other ColdFusion vulnerabilities, as it removes the authentication barrier that would otherwise protect the attack surface of the administration interface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-29298 being actively exploited?
Yes, CVE-2023-29298 is confirmed as actively exploited in the wild. CISA added this Adobe ColdFusion access control bypass to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog with a remediation deadline of August 10, 2023. The EPSS score of 94.3% (99th percentile) confirms near-certain exploitation activity.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-29298?
CVE-2023-29298 affects Adobe ColdFusion 2018 Update 16 and earlier, ColdFusion 2021 Update 6 and earlier, and ColdFusion 2023.0.0.330468 and earlier. All three currently supported ColdFusion release lines are affected and require patching.
How do I fix CVE-2023-29298?
Apply the patches from Adobe Security Bulletin APSB23-40: upgrade to ColdFusion 2018 Update 17+, ColdFusion 2021 Update 7+, or ColdFusion 2023 Update 1+. Additionally, restrict external access to ColdFusion administrative endpoints using WAF rules and IP-based access controls.
How severe is CVE-2023-29298?
CVE-2023-29298 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (High severity) with high confidentiality impact. The EPSS score of 94.3% (99th percentile) indicates extremely high exploitation probability. While the vulnerability itself is a security bypass rather than direct code execution, it exposes administrative interfaces that can lead to further compromise when chained with other vulnerabilities.
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