dbcve.org
ColdfusionApplication · Adobe

CVE-2019-8073

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-09-27
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
ColdFusion 2018- update 4 and earlier and ColdFusion 2016- update 11 and earlier have a Command Injection via Vulnerable component vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to Arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A command injection vulnerability in Adobe ColdFusion 2016 (update 11 and earlier) and ColdFusion 2018 (update 4 and earlier) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands through a vulnerable component by injecting malicious OS commands via unsanitized input, leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the ColdFusion service account.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied security updates: ColdFusion 2018 Update 5 (or later) and ColdFusion 2016 Update 12 (or later). Prior to deployment, test updates in a non-production environment and verify compatibility with existing applications.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
ColdfusionApplication
Affected:= 2016= 2018

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed ColdFusion version and update number
    Access the ColdFusion Administrator console (typically at /cfide/administrator/index.cfm) and view the 'Server Settings' > 'Settings Summary' page, or check the version info from the ColdFusion installation directory (version.ini or product.xml)
    Affected if The version shows ColdFusion 2016 with Update 11 or earlier, or ColdFusion 2018 with Update 4 or earlier
  2. Confirm the update number for ColdFusion 2016
    In ColdFusion Administrator, check the build number displayed in Settings Summary (e.g., 2016,0,11,xxxxxx) - if the third number is 11 or lower, the instance is affected
    Affected if The update/build number is 11 or lower for ColdFusion 2016
  3. Confirm the update number for ColdFusion 2018
    In ColdFusion Administrator, check the build number displayed in Settings Summary (e.g., 2018,0,4,xxxxxx) - if the third number is 4 or lower, the instance is affected
    Affected if The update/build number is 4 or lower for ColdFusion 2018
  4. Check for web server configuration files related to the vulnerable component
    Examine the ColdFusion web root for any exposed CFIDE components or REST endpoints that accept user input and could be exploited for command injection
    Affected if Unsanitized input-handling components are exposed and accessible via web requests

Your environment is affected if ColdFusion 2016 is at Update 11 or earlier, OR ColdFusion 2018 is Update 4 or earlier, and the vulnerable input-handling component is accessible.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied security updates: ColdFusion 2018 Update 5 (or later) and ColdFusion 2016 Update 12 (or later). Prior to deployment, test updates in a non-production environment and verify compatibility with existing applications.

Recommended fix High confidence

ColdFusion 2018 Update 5 or later; ColdFusion 2016 Update 12 or later

  1. Back up the entire ColdFusion installation directory and any custom configurations or databases
  2. Navigate to Adobe's official support page (helpx.adobe.com) and locate the ColdFusion updates section
  3. Download ColdFusion 2018 Update 5 or later (or ColdFusion 2016 Update 12 or later, depending on your installed version)
  4. Stop the ColdFusion application server services before applying the update
  5. Run the installer for the downloaded update following Adobe's documented installation procedures
  6. Restart the ColdFusion application server services after the update completes
  7. Verify the update was applied by checking the ColdFusion administrator > System Information or About page
  8. Test critical application functionality to ensure the update did not break existing features
Caveat Review Adobe's update release notes for any configuration or compatibility changes before upgrading, as some settings may need adjustment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Coldfusion Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-8073 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data