CVE-2023-38205
CVE-2023-38205 is a security flaw in Adobe ColdFusion, Adobe’s platform for building web applications. Attackers can reach parts of Adobe ColdFusion that should be locked to them. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 20 Jul 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 an improper access control in Adobe ColdFusion. In its words: “Adobe ColdFusion contains an improper access control vulnerability that allows for a security feature bypass.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “Adobe ColdFusion versions 2018u18 (and earlier), 2021u8 (and earlier) and 2023u2 (and earlier) are affected by an Improper Access Control vulnerability that could result in a Security feature bypass. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to access the administration CFM and CFC endpoints. 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 7.5 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 20 Jul 2023. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 10 Aug 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 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
Adobe 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.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 10 Aug 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] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.5.[2] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at over 99%.[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 ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2023-29298, Adobe ColdFusion: improper access control ·
Every Adobe flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in July 2023
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Adobe ColdFusion Improper Access Control Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 20 Jul 2023.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2023-38205 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 14 Sep 2023.
- ^ Adobe. Advisories and fixes: helpx.adobe.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.998, percentile 100.0, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2023-38205”. 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.