CVE-2023-38206 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE • 09/14/2023
Adobe ColdFusion versions 2018u18 (and earlier), 2021u8 (and earlier) and 2023u2 (and earlier) are affected by an Improper Access Control vulnerability that could result in a Security feature bypass. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to access the administration CFM and CFC endpoints resulting in a low-confidentiality impact. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2023
Adobe ColdFusion is a web application server and development framework that enables organizations to build and deploy dynamic web applications. The affected versions 2018u18 and earlier, 2021u8 and earlier, and 2023u2 and earlier contain a critical access control flaw that undermines the security boundaries of the platform. This vulnerability resides in the authentication and authorization mechanisms that govern access to administrative interfaces within the ColdFusion environment. The improper access control vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user privileges when accessing sensitive management endpoints, allowing unauthorized entities to bypass normal security controls. The flaw specifically affects the CFM and CFC endpoints which are core components of ColdFusion's administrative interface and application development framework. These endpoints typically require elevated privileges to access, yet the vulnerability enables attackers to gain unauthorized access without proper authentication. The security feature bypass occurs because the system fails to properly enforce access restrictions for administrative functions, creating a path for unauthorized users to execute administrative operations. This issue is particularly concerning because exploitation does not require user interaction, meaning attackers can leverage the vulnerability automatically without needing to trick users into performing specific actions. The low confidentiality impact indicates that while the attacker gains access to administrative functions, the primary risk lies in the potential for further exploitation rather than direct data theft. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control in software systems where insufficient authorization checks allow unauthorized access to protected resources. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations using affected ColdFusion versions, as it provides attackers with access to administrative functions that could enable them to modify application configurations, deploy malicious code, or extract sensitive information from the system. The attack surface is particularly wide since ColdFusion administrators often use these endpoints for critical system management tasks including application deployment, configuration changes, and user management. Organizations running these vulnerable versions face potential compromise of their entire ColdFusion environment, as administrative access typically grants broad control over the application server and its hosted applications. The vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access, as attackers can leverage the bypass to gain elevated privileges within the ColdFusion environment. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of all affected versions to the latest releases, implementation of network segmentation to restrict access to administrative endpoints, and deployment of additional monitoring controls to detect unauthorized access attempts. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify any potential compromise and ensure proper access controls are implemented at the network level to prevent unauthorized access to administrative interfaces. Regular security updates and vulnerability management processes are essential to prevent exploitation of similar access control flaws in the future.