CVE-2023-22518
CVE-2023-22518 is a security flaw in Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server, a wiki companies use for internal documents. Attackers are using a flaw in Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 7 Nov 2023, and says ransomware gangs have used it.[1]
Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. Atlassian has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an improper authorization in Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server. In its words: “Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server contain an improper authorization vulnerability that can result in significant data loss when exploited by an unauthenticated attacker. There is no impact on confidentiality since the attacker cannot exfiltrate any data.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “All versions of Confluence Data Center and Server are affected by this unexploited vulnerability. This Improper Authorization vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to reset Confluence and create a Confluence instance administrator account. Using this account, an attacker can then perform all administrative actions that are available to Confluence instance administrator leading to - but not limited to - full loss of confidentiality, integrity and availability. Atlassian Cloud sites are not affected by this vulnerability. If your Confluence site is accessed via an atlassian.net domain, it is hosted by Atlassian and is not vulnerable to this issue.”[2]
The underlying weakness is incorrect authorization (CWE-863), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Atlassian’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server.
Most families won’t have Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 7 Nov 2023, 7 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 28 Nov 2023 to fix it.[1] CISA says ransomware gangs have used it.
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at over 99%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Atlassian has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 28 Nov 2023 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks, noting that ransomware gangs have used it.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at over 99%.[4] |
See also
Other Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server flaws
- CVE-2023-22527: template injection ·
- CVE-2023-22515: broken access control ·
Other Atlassian flaws
- CVE-2026-21589, Atlassian products: files or directories accessible to external parties ·
- CVE-2021-26086, Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center: path traversal ·
- CVE-2022-36804, Atlassian Bitbucket Server and Data Center: command injection ·
- CVE-2022-26138, Atlassian Confluence: questions for confluence app hard-coded credentials ·
- CVE-2022-26134, Atlassian Confluence Server/Data Center: confluence server and data center remote code execution ·
Other incorrect authorization flaws
- CVE-2026-71362, Adobe Commerce and Magento: incorrect authorization ·
- CVE-2026-42016, JFrog Artifactory: incorrect authorization ·
- CVE-2025-54253, Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms: experience manager forms code execution ·
- CVE-2025-55177, Meta Platforms WhatsApp: incorrect authorization ·
- CVE-2025-21480, Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets: incorrect authorization ·
Every Atlassian flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in November 2023
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server Improper Authorization Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 7 Nov 2023.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2023-22518 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 31 Oct 2023.
- ^ Atlassian. Advisories and fixes: confluence.atlassian.com, confluence.atlassian.com, jira.atlassian.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 1.000, percentile 100.0, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2023-22518”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.