CVE-2023-29300
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on Adobe ColdFusion servers by exploiting insecure deserialization of untrusted data. It affects ColdFusion 2018, 2021, and 2023 versions before specific updates. No user interaction is required for exploitation, making it particularly dangerous.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe ColdFusion
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, pivot to other systems, or establish persistent backdoors.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to web server compromise, data exfiltration, or deployment of ransomware/cryptominers.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, application firewalls, and monitoring detecting exploitation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
CISA has added this to their Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: ColdFusion 2018 Update 17, ColdFusion 2021 Update 7, ColdFusion 2023.0.0.330469
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb23-40.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the appropriate update from Adobe's ColdFusion downloads page. 2. Backup your ColdFusion installation and configuration. 3. Apply the update following Adobe's installation instructions. 4. Restart ColdFusion services. 5. Verify the update was successful by checking the version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation and Access Control
allRestrict network access to ColdFusion servers to only trusted IP addresses and required services.
Web Application Firewall Rules
allConfigure WAF rules to block deserialization attempts and suspicious payloads targeting ColdFusion endpoints.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected servers in a separate network segment with strict firewall rules
- Implement application-level monitoring and alerting for suspicious deserialization activity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ColdFusion version via Administrator console or cfusion/lib/version.txt file. Compare against affected version ranges.Check Version:
On Windows: type "C:\ColdFusion\cfusion\lib\version.txt" | On Linux: cat /opt/coldfusion/cfusion/lib/version.txtVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is updated to 2018 Update 17, 2021 Update 7, or 2023.0.0.330469 or later. Test deserialization endpoints if possible.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual deserialization errors in ColdFusion logs
- Suspicious Java class loading activity
- Unexpected process creation from ColdFusion services
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with serialized Java objects to ColdFusion endpoints
- Outbound connections from ColdFusion servers to unknown external IPs
SIEM Query:
source="coldfusion.log" AND ("deserialization" OR "java.io" OR "ClassNotFoundException")