CVE-2017-11283 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe ColdFusion has an Untrusted Data Deserialization vulnerability. This affects Update 4 and earlier versions for ColdFusion 2016, and Update 12 and earlier versions for ColdFusion 11.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2021
Adobe ColdFusion versions 2016 Update 4 and earlier, along with ColdFusion 11 Update 12 and earlier, contain a critical untrusted data deserialization vulnerability that presents significant security risks to affected systems. This vulnerability stems from the application's improper handling of serialized data structures, allowing attackers to manipulate serialized objects during the deserialization process. The flaw exists in the way ColdFusion processes incoming data that is expected to be in serialized format, particularly when this data originates from untrusted sources without proper validation or sanitization. When maliciously crafted serialized data is processed, the application can be coerced into executing arbitrary code or performing unauthorized operations within the context of the running ColdFusion instance. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-502 category, specifically addressing "Deserialization of Untrusted Data" which is a well-documented weakness in software applications that handle serialized object data. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it can be exploited through various vectors including web requests, file uploads, or any interface that accepts serialized input from external sources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data corruption or application disruption. Successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands, access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or establish persistent backdoors within the affected environment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be leveraged to perform privilege escalation attacks, potentially elevating the attacker's access level from a standard user to system administrator or root privileges. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059 category for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as well as T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1566 for Phishing. The vulnerability can be exploited through remote code execution attacks, where attackers craft malicious serialized payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable ColdFusion instance, trigger the execution of arbitrary code on the target system. This makes the vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to establish persistent access or to move laterally within a network environment.
Organizations affected by CVE-2017-11283 should implement immediate remediation measures including applying the latest security patches provided by Adobe, which address the deserialization flaw by implementing proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms. The mitigation strategy should also incorporate network segmentation to limit access to ColdFusion applications, implement strict input validation at all entry points, and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious serialized data patterns. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected ColdFusion versions and ensure proper monitoring and logging of deserialization operations. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime protection mechanisms that can detect anomalous deserialization behavior and alert on potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of secure coding practices, particularly around handling untrusted data in serialized formats, and serves as a reminder of the need for regular security updates and patch management processes. Proper configuration management and access controls should be enforced to limit the attack surface and reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Organizations should also maintain detailed inventory records of all ColdFusion installations to ensure complete remediation across their entire infrastructure and prevent similar vulnerabilities from persisting in other components of their application stack.