CVE-2023-38205 - Breaking Down the Adobe ColdFusion Security Feature Bypass
In June 2023, a serious security flaw was discovered in Adobe ColdFusion. This weakness, tracked as CVE-2023-38205, allows hackers to bypass security controls and access sensitive administration endpoints—giving them a dangerous level of power over ColdFusion servers.
If you run Adobe ColdFusion, this is a must-read. Below, we’ll walk through what CVE-2023-38205 is, how it works, who is affected, and how attackers can exploit it. I’ll also provide some simple code snippets to show the concept, and I’ll include helpful references at the end.
What Is CVE-2023-38205?
CVE-2023-38205 is an Improper Access Control vulnerability found in the following Adobe ColdFusion versions:
ColdFusion 2023 (Update 2 and earlier)
Because of a mistake in how access to certain admin files is checked, a remote attacker could access sensitive CFM or CFC administration endpoints—*even if they shouldn’t* be able to. This kind of flaw is called a security feature bypass.
No user interaction is needed. An attacker can simply send crafted HTTP requests to a vulnerable server.
Who Is Affected?
If you're running any of the affected versions and haven’t patched, your server may be wide open to attack.
ColdFusion 2023: Update 2 *or lower*
To check your version, log in to your admin interface or see your installation files. Adobe’s official security bulletin lists full details.
How Does the Exploit Work?
At its core, this vulnerability is about bypassing security checks. ColdFusion servers are supposed to block direct access to certain .cfm and .cfc admin files. But in these versions, a clever attacker can slip past those barriers.
Attacker locates a vulnerable server.
2. They craft a special HTTP request—maybe with an unusual URL or header, or abusing a loophole in path normalization.
3. The server fails to recognize the request as dangerous. It runs the targeted adminapi CFM or CFC script.
4. Attacker gains unauthorized access. They can read data, change settings, or sometimes even run code.
Suppose your admin API is at /cfide/adminapi/administrator.cfc. An attacker might try to access
GET /cfide/adminapi/administrator.cfc?method=getAdminData HTTP/1.1
Host: victim.com
If the security check is weak (because of this CVE), the server processes the request and spits out sensitive information, or accepts admin commands.
Sample Exploit Code (Conceptual)
To show how simple such an attack could be, here’s a sample Python script to request a restricted ColdFusion admin endpoint:
import requests
target = "https://victim.com";
endpoint = "/cfide/adminapi/administrator.cfc"
params = {
"method": "getAdminData"
}
resp = requests.get(target + endpoint, params=params, verify=False)
print(resp.text)
> Warning: Running such scripts against servers you don’t own is illegal. This example is for educational use only.
Adobe has released patches. Download and install the latest updates right away
- Adobe Security Bulletin (APSB23-40)
Other important steps
- Restrict /cfide/ and other admin folders in your web server config. (Disallow direct public access!)
- Watch your logs for suspicious access to CFM/CFC files.
References and Additional Reading
- Adobe Security Bulletin APSB23-40
- NIST NVD Entry for CVE-2023-38205
- ColdFusion Community Security Guides
ColdFusion Security: Stay Ahead of Attackers
CVE-2023-38205 is a clear warning—never assume your web software is safe by default. When admin endpoints can be accessed without proper checks, attackers can do real damage—data theft, site takeover, and more.
Stay safe!
*If you found this useful, share with your team or network. Protecting one server helps protect the whole internet.*
Timeline
Published on: 09/14/2023 08:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 09/14/2023 13:01:00 UTC