Adobe has released an urgent out-of-band security update to address a critical vulnerability in ColdFusion, tracked as CVE-2024-53961, which affects ColdFusion versions 2021 and 2023. The vulnerability, caused by a path traversal weakness, allows attackers to read arbitrary files on compromised servers, potentially exposing sensitive information. This flaw has been assigned a “Priority 1” severity rating due to its high potential for exploitation, with proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit code already circulating in the wild. This increases the urgency for administrators to apply the necessary patches as soon as possible.
To mitigate the risk, Adobe has released ColdFusion 2021 Update 18 and ColdFusion 2023 Update 12 and recommends that administrators apply these updates within 72 hours. The company also urges users to follow the security configuration guidelines outlined in the ColdFusion 2023 and 2021 lockdown guides. These steps are essential in safeguarding against the exploitation of this vulnerability, which could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive server data and even potential system compromise.
Although Adobe has not confirmed whether the flaw has been actively exploited, the availability of PoC exploit code suggests that the risk of attacks is elevated. Path traversal vulnerabilities, which allow attackers to access files outside the intended directory, have long been recognized as a severe security risk. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has previously warned about the dangers of such flaws, as they can be leveraged to steal credentials and escalate attacks, ultimately compromising system integrity.
The release of this patch underscores the ongoing threat posed by vulnerabilities in widely used platforms like ColdFusion. This is not the first time Adobe has faced critical security issues in ColdFusion; similar flaws were exploited in 2023, including CVE-2023-29298 and CVE-2023-26360, with some of them being zero-day vulnerabilities. As always, it is critical for organizations to remain vigilant and implement timely security updates to protect their systems from emerging threats.
