CVE-2023-38205
HIGHCISA KEVEPSS 100th pctlDescription
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.
How to fix
Actively exploited, no published fix found yet
CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Federal remediation due: 2023-08-10
Mitigation guidance may be in the linked vendor advisories in the References section below.
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CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Exploit Intelligence
Very high risk: more likely to be exploited than 100% of all known CVEs.
Adobe ColdFusion Improper Access Control Vulnerability
Adobe ColdFusion contains an improper access control vulnerability that allows for a security feature bypass.
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Remediation due: 2023-08-10
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2023-27350 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2019-1653 | High | 7.5 | 100% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2023-23752 | Medium | 5.3 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2023-29298 | High | 7.5 | 100% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2024-27348 | Critical | 9.8 | 99% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2012-4681 | Critical | 9.8 | 99% | KEV + Ransom | - |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2023-38205?
No published fix for CVE-2023-38205 has been found yet. It is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list; federal agencies must remediate by 2023-08-10. Apply the vendor's mitigations per CISA's guidance.
Is CVE-2023-38205 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2023-38205 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation has been observed in the wild. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 2023-08-10. Treat it as a priority whatever its CVSS score says.
How severe is CVE-2023-38205?
CVE-2023-38205 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2025-10-23.