External risk intelligence

Adobe ColdFusion Authentication Bypass Vulnerability.

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2013-0632

The vulnerability affects the administrative interface and Remote Development Services (RDS) of a web application server. These components are frequently exposed as part of the management surface in web application deployments, making them plausibly reachable from the internet, particularly when administrative portals are not properly restricted.

Adobe Coldfusion

9.09.0.19.0.210.0

Halo Surface Signal: 4 out of 5 — likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

Adobe ColdFusion's administrator component contains a flaw that can permit unauthorized access. This weakness could allow external actors to bypass security measures, potentially leading to the execution of arbitrary code. The impact could include compromised systems and data.

  • Vulnerable: Administrator component
  • Weakness: Authentication bypass
  • Impact: System compromise, code execution

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

This vulnerability allows unauthorized access to administrative functions within Adobe ColdFusion. Attackers can bypass normal login procedures by exploiting the default credentials of the RDS component. Once authenticated through RDS, they can then access the administrative web interface. This grants them the ability to perform actions within the administrative console, potentially leading to further compromise of the server or its data.

  • Publicly accessible RDS component.
  • Attacker uses default empty password.
  • Gains administrative control.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability in Adobe Cold Fusion allows attackers to bypass authentication and potentially execute arbitrary code. Exploitation was observed in the wild in January 2013. The impact could include unauthorized access to administrative functions and the execution of malicious code on affected systems.

  • Attackers need no special skill.
  • No access or conditions required.
  • Business risk is high; treat as urgent.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This vulnerability in Adobe ColdFusion allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and potentially execute arbitrary code. Attackers could exploit this by logging into the RDS component with a default empty password and then accessing the administrative interface. This has been actively exploited in the wild.

  • Find affected ColdFusion assets.
  • Reduce exposure or isolate risk.
  • Fix, verify, and monitor.

Supplementary metadata

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

Frequently asked questions

What is Adobe ColdFusion and what is its administrative component?

Adobe ColdFusion is a platform for building and deploying web applications. Its administrative component enables users to manage the application server and its settings.

What type of weakness does CVE-2013-0632 represent?

CVE-2013-0632 is an authentication bypass vulnerability. This means an attacker can gain unauthorized access to a system without providing valid credentials.

How can an attacker exploit CVE-2013-0632 in Adobe ColdFusion?

An attacker can exploit this by using the default, empty password for the Remote Development Services (RDS) component. This allows them to access the administrative interface without proper authentication.

What is the significance of Halo Surface Signal's 'Likely' score for CVE-2013-0632?

The 'Likely' score from Halo Surface Signal indicates that the vulnerability affecting the administrative interface and RDS components is plausibly reachable from the internet, especially if administrative portals lack proper restrictions.

What steps should be taken to address the CVE-2013-0632 vulnerability?

Organizations should identify all affected Adobe ColdFusion assets, reduce their exposure or isolate the risk, and then apply necessary fixes, verify the remediation, and continue to monitor the environment.

References