CVE-2023-44352 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE • 11/17/2023
Adobe ColdFusion versions 2023.5 (and earlier) and 2021.11 (and earlier) are affected by a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. If an unauthenticated attacker is able to convince a victim to visit a URL referencing a vulnerable page, malicious JavaScript content may be executed within the context of the victim's browser.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2023
Adobe ColdFusion represents a widely deployed enterprise web application platform that serves as a foundation for numerous business-critical applications across various industries. The platform's architecture includes a comprehensive administration interface and web server capabilities that handle dynamic content generation through ColdFusion Markup Language and various scripting interfaces. Organizations rely heavily on ColdFusion for content management, web services, and business application development, making it a prime target for cyber adversaries seeking to exploit vulnerabilities that could compromise entire enterprise environments. The platform's popularity in enterprise settings means that successful exploitation of vulnerabilities within ColdFusion can potentially impact thousands of users and systems simultaneously.
The reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability in question stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within ColdFusion's web interface components. This specific flaw manifests when user-supplied input parameters are directly incorporated into web responses without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The vulnerability exists in the way ColdFusion processes and renders URL parameters within its administrative and user-facing pages, allowing malicious payloads to be injected and executed when users navigate to compromised URLs. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script is not stored on the server but is instead delivered through a crafted URL that the victim must click to trigger execution, making it particularly challenging to detect and prevent through traditional security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the ColdFusion environment. When an authenticated user visits a malicious URL, the injected JavaScript code executes within their browser context, potentially allowing attackers to access administrative functions, extract session cookies, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects both the 2023.5 and 2021.11 release lines, indicating a persistent flaw in the platform's input handling mechanisms that spans multiple versions. Given that ColdFusion administrators often have elevated privileges and access to sensitive system resources, successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to corporate data.
Organizations utilizing affected ColdFusion versions should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to protect their environments from potential exploitation. The most effective immediate action involves applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address the specific XSS vulnerability in the affected versions. Additionally, implementing robust web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities can provide an additional layer of protection by filtering malicious requests before they reach the vulnerable application components. Network segmentation and access control measures should be reinforced to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous user behavior and suspicious URL patterns that may indicate attempted exploitation. Organizations should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other potential entry points and ensure that all ColdFusion installations are properly updated and configured according to security best practices.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can create persistent security weaknesses in enterprise platforms. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 (Phishing via Social Engineering) as attackers would need to convince victims to visit malicious URLs, and potentially to T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) if DNS-based exploitation techniques are employed. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing proper input validation mechanisms, as even widely used enterprise platforms can contain persistent security flaws that require continuous monitoring and remediation efforts.