CVE-2023-22527
CVE-2023-22527 is a security flaw in Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server, a wiki companies use for internal documents. Attackers can run their own code on Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server from anywhere, without logging in. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 24 Jan 2024, 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. Fixed in version 8.5.4.
Description
CISA calls it a template injection in Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server. In its words: “Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server contain an unauthenticated OGNL template injection vulnerability that can lead to remote code execution.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “A template injection vulnerability on older versions of Confluence Data Center and Server allows an unauthenticated attacker to achieve RCE on an affected instance. Customers using an affected version must take immediate action. Most recent supported versions of Confluence Data Center and Server are not affected by this vulnerability as it was ultimately mitigated during regular version updates. However, Atlassian recommends that customers take care to install the latest version to protect their instances from non-critical vulnerabilities outlined in Atlassian’s January Security Bulletin.”[2]
The underlying weakness is CWE-74, 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 lists these fixed versions: in each line, everything before the version shown is affected.[2]
| Product | Fixed in |
|---|---|
| confluence_data_center | 8.5.4 |
| confluence_server | 8.5.4 |
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 24 Jan 2024, 8 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 14 Feb 2024 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 (fixed in version 8.5.4), or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 14 Feb 2024 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-2023-22518: improper authorization ·
- 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 ·
Similar flaws
- CVE-2025-20337, Cisco Identity Services Engine: injection ·
- CVE-2025-20281, Cisco Identity Services Engine: injection ·
- CVE-2022-43769, Hitachi Vantara Pentaho Business Analytics (BA) Server: pentaho BA server special element injection ·
- CVE-2022-35914, Teclib GLPI: remote code execution ·
- CVE-2022-46169, Cacti: command injection ·
Every Atlassian flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in January 2024
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server Template Injection Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 24 Jan 2024.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2023-22527 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 16 Jan 2024.
- ^ 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-2023-22527”. 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.