CVE-2023-38203 Scanner

Adobe ColdFusion is a popular application development platform used by developers worldwide to create and deploy web applications. It is prevalent in large enterprises and government organizations for its robust features and ease of integration with other technologies. Organizations use ColdFusion to quickly build scalable and secure applications with minimal coding. ColdFusion supports multiple platforms and is especially favored in environments requiring rapid application development. However, its usage demands high security diligence due to the complexity of applications it supports. Keeping software updated is critical to managing risks associated with vulnerabilities.

The "Deserialization of Untrusted Data" vulnerability can lead to severe security implications, as it allows attackers to input malicious data that the application erroneously processes, leading to potential code execution. Deserialization vulnerabilities occur when untrusted data is used to abuse the logic of an application, causing unexpected behavior. This particular flaw in Adobe ColdFusion enables attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code without user interaction. It represents a critical risk, especially in hosting environments where multiple applications may be affected. Such vulnerabilities highlight the need for thorough validation and sanitation of data input into applications.

Technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves sending specially crafted requests to vulnerable endpoints within the ColdFusion server. Attackers exploit endpoints that mistakenly deserialize potentially harmful data. The issue is prevalent in specific methods within admin APIs, which do not adequately validate incoming payloads. This allows attackers to embed arbitrary payloads that get executed within the application's context. Exploiting this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access, data compromise, or full system takeover.

If successfully exploited, this vulnerability could allow malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of the vulnerable Adobe ColdFusion server, leading to data breaches and system compromise. Affected systems can also be used as launchpads for further attacks in a network, posing significant threats to enterprise security. The exploitation might result in data leakage, service disruption, or even financial losses to organizations using affected software.

REFERENCES

• https://blog.projectdiscovery.io/adobe-coldfusion-rce
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-38203