CVE-2012-5674 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Adobe ColdFusion 10 before Update 5, when Internet Information Services (IIS) is used, allows attackers to cause a denial of service via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2024
Adobe ColdFusion 10 before Update 5 contains an unspecified vulnerability when deployed with Internet Information Services that enables remote attackers to trigger a denial of service condition through unknown attack vectors. This vulnerability represents a critical security weakness in the web application framework's integration with Microsoft's web server technology. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability details suggests that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed, which is common for certain classes of denial of service flaws that may involve memory corruption, resource exhaustion, or improper input handling within the IIS integration layer.
The technical flaw manifests specifically when ColdFusion 10 operates in conjunction with IIS, indicating that the vulnerability is likely rooted in how the ColdFusion application server communicates with or processes requests through the IIS web server interface. This integration point creates a potential attack surface where malicious actors can exploit weaknesses in request handling, connection management, or resource allocation mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification as a denial of service issue implies that successful exploitation would result in the unavailability of the ColdFusion application services, potentially disrupting business operations and user access to web applications built on this platform.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on ColdFusion 10 with IIS deployment models. The denial of service condition could lead to complete service interruption, requiring manual intervention to restore normal operations. Organizations may experience downtime that affects customer access, business continuity, and potentially revenue generation. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the application server, making it particularly dangerous as it undermines the fundamental availability of web applications that depend on this technology stack. Security teams must consider the potential for cascading effects if multiple applications share the same vulnerable infrastructure components.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate application of Adobe's security update 5 for ColdFusion 10, which addresses the specific flaw in the IIS integration. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns or service disruptions that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include restricting access to the affected ColdFusion services, implementing rate limiting, and ensuring proper firewall configurations to limit exposure. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the vulnerable ColdFusion version within their infrastructure and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly. This vulnerability aligns with attack patterns documented in the attack tree model where denial of service represents a common initial compromise vector for further attacks, potentially providing attackers with opportunities to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
This vulnerability type corresponds to CWE-400, which covers "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and falls under the broader category of resource exhaustion attacks that can lead to denial of service conditions. The specific weakness in the IIS integration demonstrates how third-party component vulnerabilities can create cascading security issues within complex web application architectures. Organizations should consider implementing the principle of least privilege for ColdFusion services, regularly updating all web application server components, and maintaining comprehensive incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of thorough testing of security patches in production environments before full deployment to ensure that remediation efforts do not introduce new operational issues while addressing the identified security weaknesses.