CVE-2008-4831 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Adobe ColdFusion 8 and 8.0.1 and ColdFusion MX 7.0.2 allows local users to bypass sandbox restrictions, and obtain sensitive information or possibly gain privileges, via unknown vectors.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2024
Adobe ColdFusion versions 7.0.2, 8.0, and 8.0.1 contain an unspecified vulnerability that affects the application's sandboxing mechanism, creating potential security risks for local users. This vulnerability exists within the core runtime environment of ColdFusion, which is designed to isolate application processes and prevent unauthorized access to system resources. The flaw allows local attackers to circumvent the security boundaries that are typically enforced by the ColdFusion sandbox, potentially enabling them to access sensitive information or escalate privileges on the affected systems. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple versions of the ColdFusion platform, indicating a fundamental issue with the sandbox implementation rather than a specific code defect.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of privilege escalation and information disclosure, with potential for local privilege escalation as described in CWE-269. The sandbox restrictions that are normally enforced by ColdFusion's security model are being bypassed through unknown vectors that have not been fully documented in the public CVE description. This lack of specific details about the attack vectors makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as security professionals cannot accurately assess the exact methods an attacker might use to exploit this weakness. The vulnerability impacts the integrity and confidentiality of the ColdFusion environment, potentially allowing unauthorized access to system resources, application data, and user information that should normally be protected by the sandbox mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it could enable attackers to gain elevated privileges on the affected systems. Local users who can exploit this vulnerability may be able to access sensitive system information, manipulate application behavior, or potentially execute arbitrary code with higher privileges than normally permitted. This type of vulnerability affects the core security model of the ColdFusion platform and could compromise the entire application server if exploited successfully. The vulnerability's presence in both ColdFusion MX 7.0.2 and ColdFusion 8.x versions indicates that the underlying issue has persisted across multiple releases, suggesting a systemic problem with how the platform handles security boundaries. This could lead to widespread compromise of organizations that rely on ColdFusion for their web applications and services.
Organizations using affected ColdFusion versions should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Adobe, which would address the sandbox bypass vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit local user access to the ColdFusion server environment. System monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual access patterns or privilege escalation attempts that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the use of application flaws to gain elevated system privileges. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any additional weaknesses in the ColdFusion environment, while incident response procedures should be updated to address potential exploitation of this sandbox bypass vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as mandatory access controls and privilege separation to reduce the impact if this vulnerability is successfully exploited.