CVE-2019-8256
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 · uneditedColdFusion versions Update 6 and earlier have an insecure inherited permissions of default installation directory vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to privilege escalation.
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 · moderate confidenceColdFusion Update 6 and earlier has insecure file system permissions on its default installation directory, where inherited permissions allow unauthorized modification of executable files and configuration. This local privilege escalation vulnerability allows attackers with limited system access to overwrite ColdFusion binaries or configuration files to gain elevated privileges.
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= 2018CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify ColdFusion 2018 is installedCheck for ColdFusion 2018 installation directory (typically C:\ColdFusion2018 on Windows or /opt/coldfusion/cfusion on Linux). On Windows, also check registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\ColdFusion\2018 for InstallPath value.Affected if ColdFusion 2018 is found installed on the system
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Determine ColdFusion update versionLook for the update version file in the ColdFusion installation directory (typically in lib\update or check the cfadmin interface for the update number). On Windows, also check registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\ColdFusion\2018 for UpdateLevel.Affected if The installed update version is 6 or earlier (e.g., Update 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6)
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Locate the ColdFusion installation directoryIdentify the root path from the InstallPath found in step 1. Common default paths: C:\ColdFusion2018 (Windows) or /opt/coldfusion/cfusion (Linux).Affected if The installation directory path is identified for permission checking
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Check file system permissions on executable filesUse icacls (Windows) or ls -la (Linux) to inspect permissions on .exe, .dll, and .jar files in the ColdFusion bin and lib directories. Verify if Users or other non-privileged groups have Write (W) or Modify (M) permissions.Affected if Non-privileged users or groups have write or modify access to executable files in the ColdFusion directory
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Check file system permissions on configuration filesUse icacls (Windows) or ls -la (Linux) to inspect permissions on .xml, .properties, and .cfm configuration files in the ColdFusion lib, cfusion, or config directories. Verify if unauthorized users have Write permissions.Affected if Non-privileged users or groups have write access to configuration files in the ColdFusion directory
A system is affected if ColdFusion 2018 with Update 6 or earlier is installed AND non-privileged users have write access to executable files or configuration files in the ColdFusion installation directory.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedReview and restrict file system ACLs on the ColdFusion installation directory to follow least-privilege principles, removing write access for non-privileged users and service accounts to executable and configuration paths.
ColdFusion 2018 Update 7 or later
- Back up your ColdFusion 2018 installation, including the cfusion directory and any databases
- Stop the ColdFusion application server service
- Download ColdFusion 2018 Update 7 (or latest available update) from the Adobe ColdFusion downloads page: https://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/downloads.html
- Run the installer with administrator privileges
- Follow the on-screen prompts to apply the update
- After installation completes, start the ColdFusion service
- Verify the update was applied by checking the ColdFusion Administrator > Settings > Version Information
- Confirm that the version shows Update 7 or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-8256 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-8256 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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