ColdfusionApplication · Adobe

CVE-2025-61808

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-10
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
97/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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 versions 2025.4, 2023.16, 2021.22 and earlier are affected by an Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability that could lead to arbitrary code execution by a high priviledged attacker. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction and scope is changed.

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

An unrestricted file upload vulnerability in Adobe ColdFusion allows high-privileged authenticated attackers to upload dangerous file types (e.g., executable scripts, CFML files), potentially leading to arbitrary code execution on the underlying server. The changed scope indicates the vulnerability can impact components beyond the vulnerable ColdFusion instance itself.

MitigationUpdate ColdFusion to version 2025.5, 2023.17, or 2021.23 or later. Additionally, implement strict server-side file type validation, store uploads outside the webroot, and disable script execution in upload directories.

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:= 2021= 2023= 2025

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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/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 ColdFusion installation and version
    Check the ColdFusion installation by looking for the cfusion web root (typically at /opt/ColdFusion2021/, /opt/ColdFusion2023/, or /opt/ColdFusion2025/ on Linux, or C:\ColdFusion2021\, C:\ColdFusion2023\, C:\ColdFusion2025\ on Windows). Check the version.xml or administrator login page for the exact version number.
    Affected if The installed version matches 2021, 2023, or 2025 (prior to updates 2021.23, 2023.17, or 2025.5)
  2. Verify high-privileged user access exists
    Check if ColdFusion administrator accounts with high privileges (such as the super admin) exist and are accessible. Review the cfusion/lib/neo-security.xml or the administrator user configuration for enabled authentication methods.
    Affected if High-privileged administrator accounts are present and accessible, enabling authenticated attackers to potentially reach the file upload functionality
  3. Identify exposed file upload functionality
    Look for ColdFusion file upload handlers or endpoints. Check the web root for CFC files handling file uploads (search for 'cffile action="upload"' in .cfm or .cfc files). Review the ColdFusion Administrator settings for enabled file upload features.
    Affected if File upload endpoints or handlers exist and are accessible to authenticated high-privileged users
  4. Check webroot and script execution configuration
    Review the web server configuration (typically in the ColdFusion Administrator under 'Server Settings' > 'Mappings') to identify the web root directory. Check if uploaded files can be stored within or accessible via the web root. Inspect any upload directories to see if script execution is disabled.
    Affected if Upload directories are configured within the webroot or script execution is not disabled in upload directories, allowing uploaded executables to be accessed

If ColdFusion 2021/2023/2025 is installed with a version below 2021.23/2023.17/2025.5 and high-privileged authenticated access to file upload functionality exists with uploads stored in or accessible via the webroot, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.

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

Update ColdFusion to version 2025.5, 2023.17, or 2021.23 or later. Additionally, implement strict server-side file type validation, store uploads outside the webroot, and disable script execution in upload directories.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

ColdFusion 2021 Update 23+, ColdFusion 2023 Update 17+, ColdFusion 2025 Update 5+

  1. Identify your current ColdFusion version by checking the ColdFusion Administrator or the version number in the installation
  2. Backup your current ColdFusion installation and all applications/databases before upgrading
  3. For ColdFusion 2021: Upgrade to version 2021.23 or later
  4. For ColdFusion 2023: Upgrade to version 2023.17 or later
  5. For ColdFusion 2025: Upgrade to version 2025.5 or later
  6. After upgrading, verify the ColdFusion Administrator is accessible and all services are running
  7. Test critical application functionality to ensure the upgrade did not break existing features
  8. Review ColdFusion administrator settings to ensure they are still properly configured post-upgrade
Caveat Standard ColdFusion update—review Adobe's release notes for any deprecated features or configuration changes in the new update

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

Fix this in Coldfusion Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
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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-2025-61808 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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