CVE-2023-26360
CVE-2023-26360 is a security flaw in Adobe ColdFusion, Adobe’s platform for building web applications. Attackers can run their own code on Adobe ColdFusion. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 15 Mar 2023.[1]
Adobe ColdFusion 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. Adobe has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a deserialization of untrusted data in Adobe ColdFusion. In its words: “Adobe ColdFusion contains a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability that allows for remote code execution.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “Adobe ColdFusion versions 2018 Update 15 (and earlier) and 2021 Update 5 (and earlier) are affected by an Improper Access Control vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.”[2]
The underlying weakness is improper access control (CWE-284), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 8.6 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by the organisation that published the CVE using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Adobe’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Adobe ColdFusion.
Most families won’t have Adobe ColdFusion; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 15 Mar 2023. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 5 Apr 2023 to fix it.[1]
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 97%. 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
Adobe has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.Adobe ColdFusion 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 5 Apr 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 |
|---|---|
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 8.6.[2] | |
| 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 97%.[4] |
See also
Other Adobe ColdFusion flaws
- CVE-2026-48282: path traversal ·
- CVE-2017-3066: deserialization ·
- CVE-2024-20767: improper access control ·
- CVE-2023-38203: deserialization of untrusted data ·
- CVE-2023-29300: deserialization of untrusted data ·
- CVE-2023-26359: deserialization of untrusted data ·
Other Adobe flaws
- CVE-2026-48356, Adobe Commerce and Magento: unrestricted upload of file with dangerous type ·
- CVE-2026-71362, Adobe Commerce and Magento: incorrect authorization ·
- CVE-2026-75650, Adobe Commerce and Magento: improper neutralization of special elements used in a template engine ·
- CVE-2009-3459, Adobe Acrobat and Reader: heap-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2026-34621, Adobe Acrobat and Reader: prototype pollution ·
Other improper access control flaws
- CVE-2015-3306, ProFTPD: improper access control ·
- CVE-2026-21962, Oracle HTTP Server and Oracle Weblogic Server Proxy Plug-in: improper access control ·
- CVE-2026-56290, Joomlack Page Builder: improper access control ·
- CVE-2026-34908, Ubiquiti UniFi OS: improper access control ·
- CVE-2026-48907, Widget Factory Joomla Content Editor: improper access control ·
Every Adobe flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in March 2023
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Adobe ColdFusion Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 15 Mar 2023.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2023-26360 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 23 Mar 2023.
- ^ Adobe. Advisories and fixes: helpx.adobe.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.973, percentile 99.9, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2023-26360”. 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.