CVE-2020-9673

7.8 HIGH

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows attackers to perform DLL search-order hijacking in Adobe ColdFusion, potentially leading to privilege escalation. Attackers could place a malicious DLL in a location where ColdFusion searches for legitimate DLLs, causing it to execute malicious code. Affected systems include Adobe ColdFusion 2016 update 15 and earlier, and ColdFusion 2018 update 9 and earlier.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

• Adobe ColdFusion

Versions: ColdFusion 2016 update 15 and earlier, ColdFusion 2018 update 9 and earlier

Operating Systems: Windows

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: This vulnerability specifically affects Windows installations due to the DLL search-order mechanism.

📦 What is this software?

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

Coldfusion by Adobe

Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform and server providing a Java-based runtime environment for building dynamic websites, web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise integrations. Deployed across government agencies, financial services, healthcare organizations...

Learn more about Coldfusion →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Full system compromise with administrative privileges, allowing attackers to install malware, steal data, or pivot to other systems.

🟠

Likely Case

Local privilege escalation where an authenticated user gains higher privileges than intended, potentially accessing sensitive files or configurations.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper file permissions and security controls preventing unauthorized DLL placement.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires local access to place malicious DLLs in specific directories and knowledge of ColdFusion's DLL loading behavior.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: ColdFusion 2016 update 16, ColdFusion 2018 update 10

Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb20-43.html

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download the appropriate update from Adobe's website. 2. Stop ColdFusion services. 3. Apply the update. 4. Restart ColdFusion services.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Restrict DLL write permissions

windows

Set strict file permissions on ColdFusion directories to prevent unauthorized users from placing DLLs.

Copy

icacls "C:\ColdFusion\" /inheritance:r /grant:r "Administrators:(OI)(CI)F" "SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)F"

🧯 If You Can't Patch

• Implement strict access controls to limit who can write files to ColdFusion directories.
• Monitor file system changes in ColdFusion directories for unexpected DLL creations.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Copy

Check ColdFusion version in administrator console or via cfusion/lib/version.txt file.

Check Version:

Copy

type "C:\ColdFusion\cfusion\lib\version.txt"

Verify Fix Applied:

Copy

Verify version is ColdFusion 2016 update 16 or later, or ColdFusion 2018 update 10 or later.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

• Unexpected DLL loading events in Windows Event Logs
• ColdFusion service errors related to DLL loading

Network Indicators:

• Unusual outbound connections from ColdFusion server after DLL loading

SIEM Query:

Copy

EventID=7 OR EventID=11 AND ProcessName LIKE '%coldfusion%'

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2020-9673

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-426

Published: July 17, 2020

Last Updated: May 5, 2025

🔗 References

• https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb20-43.html Vendor Advisory
• https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb20-43.html Vendor Advisory

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