dbcve.org
ColdfusionApplication · Adobe

CVE-2022-42341

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-10-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Adobe ColdFusion versions Update 14 (and earlier) and Update 4 (and earlier) are affected by an Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference ('XXE') vulnerability that could result in arbitrary file system read. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.

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

Adobe ColdFusion versions Update 14 and earlier (and Update 4 and earlier) contain an XXE vulnerability where the XML parser improperly processes external entity references. This allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files from the server's file system without any user interaction.

MitigationApply the latest ColdFusion security update (Update 15 or later) from Adobe to patch the vulnerable XML parser. As a defense-in-depth measure, disable external entity processing in XML configurations.

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:= 2018= 2021

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
None
Availability
None

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

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. Determine ColdFusion version and update level
    Check the version information in the ColdFusion administrator console or look for a version file in the installation directory. The version typically displays as ColdFusion YYYY Update X.
    Affected if The installed version is ColdFusion 2018 with Update 14 or earlier, OR ColdFusion 2021 with Update 4 or earlier.
  2. Confirm XML parser is in use
    Identify if the application processes XML input through ColdFusion's XML parsing functions (such as XmlParse) or accepts XML uploads from users.
    Affected if XML parsing functionality is enabled and accepts external XML input.
  3. Locate XML parser configuration
    Inspect the ColdFusion installation for XML parser settings or configuration files that control external entity processing.
    Affected if The XML parser configuration allows or does not restrict external entity references.
  4. Check for exposed administrator interfaces
    Verify whether the ColdFusion Administrator (CFIDE) or any XML-handling endpoints are accessible over the network without authentication.
    Affected if Unauthenticated access to XML-handling interfaces is possible.

A user is affected if their ColdFusion 2018 installation is at Update 14 or earlier, or their ColdFusion 2021 installation is at Update 4 or earlier, and the XML parser processes external entities.

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 latest ColdFusion security update (Update 15 or later) from Adobe to patch the vulnerable XML parser. As a defense-in-depth measure, disable external entity processing in XML configurations.

Recommended fix High confidence

ColdFusion 2018 Update 15+ or ColdFusion 2021 Update 5+

  1. 1. Identify your current ColdFusion installation version and update level
  2. 2. For ColdFusion 2018: Apply Update 15 or later to address the XXE vulnerability
  3. 3. For ColdFusion 2021: Apply Update 5 or later to address the XXE vulnerability
  4. 4. Download the appropriate update from the Adobe ColdFusion downloads page (helpx.adobe.com)
  5. 5. Back up your ColdFusion installation and applications before applying the update
  6. 6. Stop the ColdFusion server service
  7. 7. Run the installer for the applicable update
  8. 8. Follow the on-screen installation instructions
Caveat Standard ColdFusion update installation; minor risk of configuration changes requiring review post-update

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

Fix this in Coldfusion Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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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-2022-42341 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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