CVE-2023-38205
Confirmed PUBLISHEDColdFusion Bypass - Vulnerability disclosure in ColdFusion | BYPASS CVE-2023-29298
Recommended Action
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
At a Glance
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.
- CVE Published
- Sep 14, 2023
- Exploitation Reported
- Jul 20, 2023
- CVSS
- 7.5 High
- EPSS
- 99.8%
Affected Versions
| Vendor | Product | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe |
ColdFusion
|
0 to <= cf2023U2 |
Affected |
CVE References
- Vendor Advisory — helpx.adobe.com helpx.adobe.com · Vendor Advisory https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb23-47.html
Recommended Actions
- Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
- Check enrichment artifacts for scanner coverage and available PoCs before rolling remediation validation.
- Use the Pro API to automate enrichment, telemetry, and workflow delivery for VM, SOC, and CTI pipelines.
Known Exploited Vulnerability Sources
Catalogues that list this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEVIntel Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2023-07-20 00:00 UTC |
| The Shadowserver | 2026-07-08 00:00 UTC |
Scanner Artifacts
Nuclei and Metasploit references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-38205.yaml | Apr 25, 2025 |
Virtual Patch
Compensating WAF rules to help reduce exposure to this CVE. Rule content and deployable vendor exports are available with KEVIntel Enterprise.
KEVIntel does not currently have a virtual patch for this CVE. When available, KEVIntel virtual patches ship as deployable ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF rules.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEVIntel Enterprise users.
CVSS Scores
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Exploitation Status
Exploited in the wild
Recorded 2023-07-20 00:00:00 UTC · CISA
Proof of concept available
Recorded 2026-06-12 14:20:40 UTC · Nuclei Templates
Weaknesses (CWE)
-
Improper Access Control
Scanner Integrations
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-38205.yaml | Apr 25, 2025 |
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
Key exploitation, disclosure, scanner coverage, and KEV attestation events for this CVE.
-
00:00 UTC 13 days ago00:00 UTC · 13 days ago
KEV confirmed by The Shadowserver
Exploitation attested by an external source
-
14:20 UTC about 1 month ago14:20 UTC · about 1 month ago
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
00:00 UTC about 1 year ago00:00 UTC · about 1 year ago
Nuclei template available
Scanner coverage available
-
07:40 UTC almost 3 years ago07:40 UTC · almost 3 years ago
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
00:00 UTC about 3 years ago00:00 UTC · about 3 years ago
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
16:21 UTC about 3 years ago16:21 UTC · about 3 years ago
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Automate This Intelligence with the Pro API
Confidence scoring, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
Pro API Example
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2023-38205
{
"cve_id": "CVE-2023-38205",
"title": "ColdFusion Bypass - Vulnerability disclosure in ColdFusion | BYPASS CVE-2023-...",
"affected_vendor": "Adobe",
"affected_product": "ColdFusion",
"affected_versions": [
{ "vendor": "...", "product": "...", "status": "affected", "display_label": "..." }
],
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 7.5,
"epss_score": 0.99768,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "...": "Pro API fields" },
"proof_of_concepts": [ "..." ],
"scanner_integrations": [ "..." ]
}