CVE-2019-8072 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE
ColdFusion 2018- update 4 and earlier and ColdFusion 2016- update 11 and earlier have a Security bypass vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to Information Disclosure in the context of the current user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-8072 represents a critical security bypass flaw affecting Adobe ColdFusion versions 2018 update 4 and earlier, as well as ColdFusion 2016 update 11 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the application server's authentication and authorization mechanisms, specifically targeting the way the system handles user context and privilege escalation. The flaw allows an attacker to bypass intended security controls and access resources or information that should be restricted to authorized users only.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of user permissions and session management within the ColdFusion administration interface and related components. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system information, potentially including configuration details, user credentials, and other confidential data that resides within the application's operational context. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages weaknesses in the software's access control implementation that should have prevented unauthorized information disclosure.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-8072 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a pathway for more sophisticated attacks that could lead to full system compromise. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could potentially escalate privileges, access restricted administrative functions, and gain deeper insight into the application's architecture and underlying infrastructure. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where ColdFusion serves as a critical backend component for web applications, enterprise systems, or customer-facing services. The security bypass allows for persistent access patterns that could remain undetected for extended periods, increasing the potential damage scope.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the official security patches released by Adobe, which address the core authentication bypass mechanisms. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1087 for account discovery, as attackers could leverage this flaw to establish persistent access and enumerate system resources. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict firewall rules for administrative interfaces, enabling multi-factor authentication, and conducting comprehensive security audits of ColdFusion configurations to identify and remediate similar access control weaknesses across the application stack.