Overview
On May 13, 2025, Adobe disclosed a critical vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-43563 affecting multiple versions of its ColdFusion platform. The issue stems from an Improper Access Control weakness, classified under CWE-284. This flaw allows an attacker to perform unauthorized file system reads without user interaction, putting sensitive data at risk.
Vulnerability Details
The vulnerability impacts ColdFusion versions up to and including:
- ColdFusion 2025.1
- ColdFusion 2023.13
- ColdFusion 2021.19
The core issue lies in the software’s failure to properly enforce access restrictions on critical file system operations. Attackers with high privileges can exploit this oversight to access or modify sensitive files, which could lead to data breaches, unauthorized disclosure, or system compromise.
Technical Breakdown
This vulnerability is rated as Critical with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1. The vector string is:
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Key characteristics include:
- Attack Vector: Network
- Attack Complexity: Low
- Privileges Required: High
- User Interaction: None
- Scope: Changed
- Confidentiality/Integrity/Availability Impact: High
Although the attack requires high privileges, its exploitation is trivial in complexity and does not require interaction from end users. The change in scope indicates that exploitation can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component.
Associated CWE
The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-284: Improper Access Control. This class of weaknesses arises when an application fails to properly restrict access to resources based on user roles or permissions. In this case, ColdFusion fails to prevent unauthorized file access, leading to severe implications for confidentiality and integrity.
Impact and Exploitation
According to the Adobe security advisory, successful exploitation could result in an attacker gaining read access to arbitrary files on the file system. Such access could be used to gather credentials, configuration details, or sensitive user data. No user interaction is required, which further increases the severity of the threat in enterprise environments.
Recommendations
Organizations using affected ColdFusion versions should:
- Immediately update to the latest patched version provided by Adobe.
- Audit and monitor system logs for unusual file access behavior.
- Restrict access to ColdFusion administrative interfaces.
- Follow Adobe’s mitigation guidance where applicable.
Conclusion
CVE-2025-43563 represents a significant risk for organizations relying on Adobe ColdFusion for web application development. Its high severity rating, combined with the lack of required user interaction and potential for unauthorized data access, makes prompt remediation essential.
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