{"id":"CVE-2023-38203","published":"2023-07-20T16:15:12Z","modified":"2026-06-17T06:09:39Z","title":"Adobe ColdFusion Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability","vendor":"Adobe","product":"ColdFusion","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"Adobe ColdFusion versions 2018u17 (and earlier), 2021u7 (and earlier) and 2023u1 (and earlier) are affected by a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability that could result in Arbitrary code execution. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The vulnerability is a deserialization of untrusted data flaw in Adobe ColdFusion, affecting the product's handling of serialized input. An attacker who can reach the affected service over the network, without authentication or user interaction, can trigger arbitrary code execution on the server.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:01:50Z"},"cvss":{"score":9.8,"severity":"CRITICAL","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.97074,"percentile":0.99892,"date":"2026-10-30","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2024-01-08","dueDate":"2024-01-29","ransomware":true,"requiredAction":"Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.","notes":"https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb23-41.html ;  https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-38203","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2023-07-17","exploitedFirstSeen":"2023-07-17","ransomware":true,"evidence":[{"url":"https://cyware.com/resources/threat-briefings/daily-threat-briefing/cyware-daily-threat-intelligence-july-17-2023-fcd7","date":"2023-07-17"},{"url":"https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/2023/07/17/etr-active-exploitation-of-multiple-adobe-coldfusion-vulnerabilities/","date":"2023-07-17"},{"url":"https://www.fortinet.com/blog/threat-research/multiple-threats-target-adobe-coldfusion-vulnerabilities","date":"2023-08-30"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2024-01-08"},{"url":"https://www.fortiguard.com/outbreak-alert/adobe-coldfusion-access-bypass","date":"2024-01-16"},{"url":"https://www.horizon3.ai/analysis-of-2023s-known-exploited-vulnerabilities/","date":"2024-02-06"},{"url":"https://www.rapid7.com/globalassets/_pdfs/research/rapid7_2024_attack_intelligence_report.pdf","date":"2024-05-21"},{"url":"https://blog.cloudflare.com/application-security-report-2024-update","date":"2024-07-11"},{"url":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2024/09/26/storm-0501-ransomware-attacks-expanding-to-hybrid-cloud-environments/","date":"2024-09-26"},{"url":"https://info.greynoise.io/hubfs/resources/GreyNoise-2025-Mass-Internet-Exploitation-Report.pdf","date":"2025-02-27"}],"evidenceTotal":29,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-502","name":"Deserialization of Untrusted Data"}],"references":[{"url":"https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb23-41.html","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb23-41.html","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-38203","tags":["Third Party Advisory","US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1190","name":"Exploit Public-Facing Application","tactics":["initial-access"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Deserialization of Untrusted Data","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[],"comment":"This vulnerability can be utilized by exploited a public-facing application.  APT groups have used this exploit to deploy webshells.","confidence":"high"},{"id":"T1105","name":"Ingress Tool Transfer","tactics":["command-and-control"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Deserialization of Untrusted Data","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[],"comment":"This vulnerability can be utilized by exploited a public-facing application.  APT groups have used this exploit to deploy webshells.","confidence":"high"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2023-42023","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2023-42023","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2024-01-08","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":{"nuclei":[{"id":"CVE-2023-38203","name":"Adobe ColdFusion - Deserialization of Untrusted Data","severity":"critical","path":"http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-38203.yaml","url":"https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-38203.yaml"}],"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1190"],"provenance":"source"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1105"],"provenance":"source"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2023-07-17","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://cyware.com/resources/threat-briefings/daily-threat-briefing/cyware-daily-threat-intelligence-july-17-2023-fcd7","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2023-07-20","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-38203","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2024-01-08","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV (known ransomware use)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2024-01-08","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2023-42023","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":null,"daysToKev":172},"priority":{"score":79.8,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1202 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":10.0,"detail":"CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV: Known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.98,"detail":"percentile 0.9989"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"1 nuclei template"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":6.86,"detail":"base score 9.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]},"lineage":{"familyId":"fam-class-adobe-coldfusion-cwe-502"}}