CVE-2025-49535: Adobe ColdFusion XXE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-49535 Overview

CVE-2025-49535 is an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability affecting Adobe ColdFusion versions 2025.2, 2023.14, 2021.20 and earlier. This critical vulnerability allows attackers to exploit improper restriction of XML external entity references, enabling access to sensitive information or causing denial of service by bypassing security measures. The vulnerability can be exploited from adjacent networks without requiring user interaction, and notably has a changed scope, meaning the impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component itself. The vulnerable component is restricted to internal IP addresses, making this particularly concerning for organizations with ColdFusion servers accessible on internal networks.

Critical Impact

This XXE vulnerability enables attackers to bypass security features, access sensitive data, and cause denial of service from adjacent network positions without any user interaction required.

Affected Products

• Adobe ColdFusion 2025 (versions 2025.2 and earlier, including all updates)
• Adobe ColdFusion 2023 (versions 2023.14 and earlier, including updates 1-14)
• Adobe ColdFusion 2021 (versions 2021.20 and earlier, including updates 1-20)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-08 - CVE-2025-49535 published to NVD
• 2025-07-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-49535

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper handling of XML input within Adobe ColdFusion, classified under CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference). The XXE vulnerability allows attackers to reference external entities within XML documents that are processed by the ColdFusion server. When the XML parser processes these malicious documents, it can be manipulated to access internal resources, read sensitive files, or trigger denial of service conditions.

The scope change indicator in this vulnerability is particularly significant, as it means successful exploitation can affect resources beyond the vulnerable ColdFusion component itself. This could potentially allow attackers to pivot to other internal systems or access data from connected services. The adjacent network attack vector indicates that exploitation requires network adjacency to the target system, typically meaning the attacker must be on the same network segment or have bypassed network controls to reach internal IP addresses where the vulnerable component resides.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-49535 lies in the ColdFusion application's XML parser failing to properly disable or restrict external entity processing. When XML input is parsed, the application does not adequately sanitize or block Document Type Definition (DTD) declarations that reference external resources. This allows attackers to craft malicious XML payloads that instruct the parser to fetch external resources, read local files, or perform other unauthorized operations. The lack of secure XML parsing configuration enables the XXE attack vector.

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted from an adjacent network position, meaning attackers need network proximity to the vulnerable ColdFusion server. An attacker can craft malicious XML documents containing external entity declarations and submit them to endpoints that process XML input. The ColdFusion server's vulnerable XML parser then processes these entities, potentially:

1. Reading sensitive files from the server's filesystem and returning their contents in the response
2. Making outbound connections to attacker-controlled servers (for data exfiltration)
3. Causing denial of service through entity expansion attacks (billion laughs attack) or by forcing the server to access slow or non-existent external resources
4. Performing server-side request forgery to internal services

Since the vulnerable component is restricted to internal IP addresses, attackers typically need to be positioned on the internal network or have compromised a system that can reach the ColdFusion server.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49535

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual XML-based requests to ColdFusion endpoints containing DTD declarations or external entity references
• Unexpected outbound connections from ColdFusion servers to external or internal resources
• Error logs showing XML parsing failures or attempts to access local files through the XML parser
• Suspicious patterns in request payloads including <!DOCTYPE, <!ENTITY, or SYSTEM declarations

Detection Strategies

• Monitor HTTP request bodies for malicious XML constructs including external entity declarations and DTD references
• Implement network monitoring for unusual outbound connections originating from ColdFusion server processes
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block XXE attack patterns in XML payloads
• Review ColdFusion application logs for XML parsing errors or security exceptions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on ColdFusion servers to capture XML processing events and potential exploitation attempts
• Configure network segmentation monitoring to detect lateral movement from compromised ColdFusion instances
• Implement file integrity monitoring on ColdFusion servers to detect unauthorized access to sensitive configuration files
• Set up alerts for abnormal resource consumption that could indicate denial of service attacks via entity expansion

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49535

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the latest security updates from Adobe for all affected ColdFusion versions immediately
• Restrict network access to ColdFusion servers to only authorized systems and users
• Review and audit all endpoints that accept XML input for proper security controls
• Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential exploitation

Patch Information

Adobe has released security updates addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should upgrade to the following patched versions:

• ColdFusion 2025: Apply update beyond version 2025.2
• ColdFusion 2023: Apply update beyond version 2023.14
• ColdFusion 2021: Apply update beyond version 2021.20

For complete details on the security updates, refer to the Adobe ColdFusion Security Advisory APSB25-69.

Workarounds

• Disable external entity processing in ColdFusion's XML parser configuration if updates cannot be immediately applied
• Implement strict input validation for all XML content processed by the application
• Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with rules specifically targeting XXE attack patterns
• Restrict network access to ColdFusion services using firewall rules to limit exposure to adjacent networks

# Network restriction example - limit ColdFusion access to specific trusted hosts
# iptables rule to restrict access to ColdFusion default port
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8500 -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8500 -j DROP