CVE-2025-24447: Adobe ColdFusion RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24447 Overview

CVE-2025-24447 is a critical Insecure Deserialization vulnerability affecting Adobe ColdFusion application server. The vulnerability exists in ColdFusion versions 2023.12, 2021.18, 2025.0 and earlier, where improper handling of serialized data can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. This results in a high impact to both confidentiality and integrity of affected systems. Notably, exploitation of this vulnerability does not require any user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for internet-facing ColdFusion deployments.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution without user interaction by exploiting the deserialization vulnerability, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and lateral movement within corporate networks.

Affected Products

• Adobe ColdFusion 2025.0 and earlier
• Adobe ColdFusion 2023.12 and earlier (including all updates through Update 12)
• Adobe ColdFusion 2021.18 and earlier (including all updates through Update 18)

Discovery Timeline

• April 08, 2025 - CVE-2025-24447 published to NVD
• April 23, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24447

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data. Adobe ColdFusion fails to properly validate or sanitize serialized objects before deserialization, allowing attackers to craft malicious serialized payloads that execute arbitrary code when processed by the server. The vulnerability is accessible over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction, making it exploitable by remote unauthenticated attackers.

The attack surface is particularly concerning because ColdFusion servers are often deployed in enterprise environments handling sensitive business logic and data. Successful exploitation enables attackers to execute code with the same privileges as the ColdFusion application process, which typically runs with elevated permissions to serve web applications.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from insufficient validation of serialized data inputs within the ColdFusion application framework. When ColdFusion processes serialized Java objects from untrusted sources, it deserializes the data without adequately verifying the object types or validating the data structure. This allows attackers to inject malicious object graphs (gadget chains) that trigger code execution during the deserialization process.

Java deserialization vulnerabilities are well-documented attack vectors, and ColdFusion's underlying Java architecture makes it susceptible to these attacks when proper input validation is not implemented. The vulnerability likely exists in one or more endpoints that accept serialized data from network requests.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, allowing remote exploitation without authentication. An attacker can target vulnerable ColdFusion instances by sending specially crafted HTTP requests containing malicious serialized payloads. The attack flow typically involves:

1. Identifying a ColdFusion endpoint that processes serialized data
2. Crafting a malicious serialized object containing a gadget chain that triggers command execution
3. Sending the payload to the vulnerable endpoint via HTTP request
4. The ColdFusion server deserializes the malicious object, triggering arbitrary code execution

Common exploitation techniques leverage well-known Java gadget chains from libraries such as Commons Collections, Spring Framework, or other dependencies that may be present in ColdFusion's classpath. The high EPSS probability (30.285%, 96.53rd percentile) indicates a significant likelihood of exploitation in the wild.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24447

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual outbound network connections from ColdFusion server processes to unknown external IP addresses
• Unexpected child processes spawned by the ColdFusion Java runtime (e.g., cmd.exe, powershell.exe, /bin/sh, /bin/bash)
• Abnormal HTTP POST requests with base64-encoded or binary serialized Java object payloads (typically containing aced0005 magic bytes)
• Creation of unauthorized files in web-accessible directories or system locations

Detection Strategies

• Monitor HTTP traffic for requests containing Java serialized object signatures (magic bytes 0xAC 0xED 0x00 0x05)
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common Java deserialization payloads
• Enable detailed logging on ColdFusion servers and analyze for suspicious deserialization activity
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions to monitor ColdFusion process behavior for anomalous code execution patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure SIEM alerts for process creation events where ColdFusion or Java processes spawn shell commands
• Establish baseline network behavior for ColdFusion servers and alert on deviations
• Monitor file system integrity on ColdFusion deployment directories for unauthorized modifications
• Review ColdFusion application logs and Java exception traces for deserialization-related errors

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24447

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the latest Adobe ColdFusion security updates as detailed in the Adobe ColdFusion Security Advisory (APSB25-15)
• Restrict network access to ColdFusion administrative interfaces and limit exposure of ColdFusion endpoints to trusted networks only
• Implement network segmentation to isolate ColdFusion servers from critical internal systems
• Enable Web Application Firewall (WAF) protections with rules targeting Java deserialization attacks

Patch Information

Adobe has released security updates addressing this vulnerability in security bulletin APSB25-15. Organizations running affected versions of ColdFusion should immediately upgrade to the latest patched versions:

• ColdFusion 2025: Apply latest update
• ColdFusion 2023: Update to version newer than Update 12
• ColdFusion 2021: Update to version newer than Update 18

Refer to the Adobe ColdFusion Security Advisory for specific version numbers and download links.

Workarounds

• Implement serialization filters using JEP 290 to restrict deserialization to trusted classes only
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF in front of ColdFusion servers to inspect and filter incoming requests for malicious payloads
• Disable or remove unnecessary ColdFusion features and endpoints that may process serialized data
• Consider implementing application-layer encryption and authentication for all ColdFusion endpoints until patches can be applied

# Example: Configure JVM serialization filter for ColdFusion (add to JVM arguments)
# Note: Adjust patterns based on your application requirements
-Djdk.serialFilter=!org.apache.commons.collections.*;!org.apache.xalan.*;java.**;javax.**;!*