CVE-2026-48327 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE • 07/15/2026
ColdFusion is affected by an Incorrect Authorization vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction. Scope is changed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical authorization flaw in Adobe ColdFusion systems that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code without requiring any user interaction or authentication. The issue stems from improper access control mechanisms within the application framework, specifically affecting how the system validates user permissions and authorizes requests. According to CWE-285, this falls under incorrect authorization vulnerabilities where the system fails to properly verify that an authenticated user has sufficient privileges to perform a requested operation. The vulnerability impacts ColdFusion's web application server functionality and can be exploited through various attack vectors including direct API calls or web interface manipulation.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs at the application layer where ColdFusion's security controls are bypassed, allowing unauthorized code execution in the context of the currently logged-in user account. This means that attackers can leverage legitimate user sessions to perform actions that should normally be restricted to administrators or authorized personnel. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates without requiring any form of user interaction, making it highly stealthy and difficult to detect through traditional monitoring approaches. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious requests that manipulate session tokens or bypass authentication checks within the ColdFusion runtime environment.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations running ColdFusion applications as it essentially provides a backdoor for code execution without the need for credentials or user engagement. The scope change mentioned in the description indicates that the vulnerability may affect multiple components within the ColdFusion ecosystem rather than being limited to a specific module or function. This could potentially allow attackers to escalate privileges, access sensitive data, or even compromise entire server infrastructure depending on the system configuration and user permissions. The lack of user interaction requirements makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in automated attack scenarios.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Adobe, reviewing and strengthening access control policies, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious activity patterns. According to ATT&CK framework tactic T1059, this vulnerability aligns with code execution techniques that could be leveraged by adversaries. Additional defensive measures include disabling unnecessary services, implementing proper logging and monitoring of authentication events, and conducting regular security assessments of ColdFusion applications to identify and remediate similar authorization flaws. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and proper input validation as outlined in OWASP Top Ten security principles.