CVE-2025-30294 Overview
CVE-2025-30294 is an improper input validation vulnerability [CWE-20] in Adobe ColdFusion. The flaw affects ColdFusion 2023.12, 2021.18, 2025.0, and earlier versions. A high-privileged attacker can exploit this issue over the network to bypass security protections and gain unauthorized read access. Exploitation requires no user interaction and results in a scope change, meaning the impact extends beyond the vulnerable component. Adobe published the corresponding advisory (APSB25-15) addressing the flaw across supported ColdFusion release trains.
Critical Impact
A high-privileged authenticated attacker can bypass ColdFusion security controls to obtain unauthorized read access to sensitive data outside the vulnerable component's original scope.
Affected Products
- Adobe ColdFusion 2021 (through Update 18)
- Adobe ColdFusion 2023 (through Update 12)
- Adobe ColdFusion 2025 (initial release)
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-08 - CVE-2025-30294 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-30294
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-30294 is classified as an Improper Input Validation weakness [CWE-20] leading to a security feature bypass. ColdFusion fails to properly validate input against its security controls, allowing an authenticated attacker with high privileges to bypass protection mechanisms. The scope change indicates the vulnerability crosses trust boundaries, letting the attacker access resources beyond the compromised component. The impact is limited to confidentiality; integrity and availability are not affected. According to Adobe's advisory, the flaw does not require user interaction, which increases automation potential in post-authentication attack chains.
Root Cause
The root cause is insufficient validation of input within a ColdFusion security-relevant code path. Because expected constraints are not enforced, the runtime processes crafted input that circumvents access checks. Adobe categorizes the outcome as a security feature bypass yielding read access to protected data. Full technical internals are not disclosed in the public advisory.
Attack Vector
Exploitation occurs over the network against a ColdFusion instance where the attacker already holds high privileges, such as an administrative or elevated application account. The attacker submits crafted requests that leverage the input validation gap to bypass security controls and read data that should remain restricted. No user interaction is required, and the changed scope means unauthorized reads may reach resources managed outside the ColdFusion component. Refer to the Adobe ColdFusion Security Advisory (APSB25-15) for authoritative technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30294
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected access to ColdFusion administrative endpoints or CFIDE resources from accounts that do not normally use those paths.
- Anomalous read operations against configuration, datasource, or protected file paths on the ColdFusion host.
- Authenticated sessions from privileged accounts making atypical sequences of API calls that reference security-sensitive components.
Detection Strategies
- Correlate ColdFusion application and access logs to identify privileged accounts issuing requests inconsistent with baseline behavior.
- Monitor cfusion/logs/ output, including application.log and exception.log, for authorization or validation errors following the vulnerable request patterns.
- Alert on privileged account activity originating from unexpected source IPs, especially outside maintenance windows.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward ColdFusion server, IIS, or Apache access logs to a centralized analytics platform for behavioral analysis.
- Track file system reads on directories containing ColdFusion configuration such as neo-*.xml files in cfusion/lib/.
- Enforce ColdFusion Administrator lockdown guidance and alert on any deviations from the hardened configuration.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30294
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the Adobe security updates referenced in APSB25-15 to ColdFusion 2021, 2023, and 2025 installations.
- Rotate credentials for high-privileged ColdFusion accounts that may have been exposed prior to patching.
- Restrict network access to ColdFusion administrative interfaces to trusted management networks only.
Patch Information
Adobe released fixed builds for ColdFusion 2021, 2023, and 2025 as described in the Adobe ColdFusion Security Advisory (APSB25-15). Administrators should upgrade beyond ColdFusion 2021 Update 18, 2023 Update 12, and 2025 initial release to the versions listed in the advisory. Apply the patches following Adobe's installation instructions and validate the ColdFusion Administrator lockdown configuration after upgrading.
Workarounds
- Apply the Adobe ColdFusion Lockdown Guide to reduce the privileges available to compromised accounts.
- Enforce network segmentation and firewall rules restricting inbound access to ColdFusion ports from untrusted networks.
- Enable multi-factor authentication for ColdFusion Administrator accounts to raise the barrier for privileged account abuse.
# Example: restrict ColdFusion Administrator access at the web tier
# IIS example using URL Authorization or Apache example using Require ip
<Location /CFIDE/administrator>
Require ip 10.0.0.0/24
</Location>
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
