CVE-2026-48362: Adobe ColdFusion RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-48362 Overview

CVE-2026-48362 is an OS Command Injection vulnerability [CWE-78] affecting Adobe ColdFusion 2023 and ColdFusion 2025. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in an operating system command. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this issue over the network to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires no user interaction, and the vulnerability results in a scope change, meaning the impact extends beyond the vulnerable component. Adobe published the fix in security bulletin APSB26-90.

Critical Impact
A remote attacker can achieve arbitrary code execution on affected ColdFusion servers without authentication or user interaction, leading to full compromise of the hosting application and adjacent resources.

Affected Products

Adobe ColdFusion 2023 (base release through Update 22)
Adobe ColdFusion 2025 (base release through Update 11)
All deployments running the affected ColdFusion server components

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-11 - CVE-2026-48362 published to NVD
2026-08-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-48362

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-48362 is classified under [CWE-78], Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command. Adobe ColdFusion passes attacker-controllable input into an operating-system command execution path without adequate sanitization. When shell metacharacters or command separators reach the underlying process invocation, the server executes attacker-supplied commands.

Because the attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges or user interaction, an unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger the vulnerable code path directly against exposed ColdFusion instances. The scope change indicates that a successful exploit can affect resources beyond the ColdFusion process itself, including other applications or data available to the host.

Successful exploitation yields arbitrary code execution in the context of the ColdFusion service account. Attackers typically use such access to deploy webshells, harvest credentials from configuration files, pivot to internal systems, and stage follow-on ransomware or data theft operations.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient input validation before user-supplied data is concatenated into a shell command string or passed to a command interpreter. ColdFusion trusts input that reaches the affected handler and does not neutralize characters such as ;, |, &, backticks, or newline sequences that alter command parsing.

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs over the network by sending a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable ColdFusion endpoint. No authentication is required. The attacker embeds shell metacharacters within a parameter that is subsequently used to build an OS command, causing the injected payload to run alongside the intended command. Because the process runs with the ColdFusion service account, the attacker inherits its privileges and file system access.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently listed in Exploit-DB, and the vulnerability is not present on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Detailed technical information is available in the Adobe ColdFusion Security Bulletin APSB26-90.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-48362

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by the ColdFusion JVM process (coldfusion.exe, jrun.exe, or java running ColdFusion), such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, /bin/sh, or bash.
New or modified .cfm, .cfml, .cfc, or .jsp files under the ColdFusion webroot that were not deployed by administrators.
Outbound network connections from the ColdFusion server to unfamiliar hosts shortly after inbound HTTP requests containing shell metacharacters.
HTTP request logs showing URL parameters or POST bodies containing ;, |, &&, backticks, or URL-encoded equivalents targeting ColdFusion endpoints.

Detection Strategies

Alert on process-lineage events where the ColdFusion service process is the parent of any command interpreter or scripting host.
Inspect ColdFusion access logs and reverse-proxy logs for requests that include command-injection patterns against administrative or component endpoints.
Correlate authentication-free requests to ColdFusion with subsequent file writes to the web root or scheduled task creation.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose ColdFusion request logging and forward logs to a centralized analytics platform for retention and search.
Monitor file integrity on the ColdFusion webroot, WEB-INF/, and administrator directories.
Track outbound egress from ColdFusion servers, treating unexpected connections to code-hosting or paste sites as high-priority signals.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-48362

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the security updates referenced in Adobe security bulletin APSB26-90 to all ColdFusion 2023 and ColdFusion 2025 installations.
Inventory internet-facing ColdFusion instances and prioritize patching for any exposed to untrusted networks.
Review ColdFusion server logs and endpoint telemetry for signs of prior exploitation before, during, and after patching.

Patch Information

Adobe released fixed builds for ColdFusion 2023 and ColdFusion 2025 as part of the APSB26-90 update cycle. Administrators should install the latest cumulative update on each affected server and restart the ColdFusion service. Refer to the Adobe ColdFusion Security Bulletin APSB26-90 for exact build numbers and installation instructions.

Workarounds

Restrict network access to ColdFusion administrative and component endpoints using firewall rules or reverse-proxy allowlists until patching is complete.
Run ColdFusion under a dedicated least-privilege service account to limit the blast radius of any successful command injection.
Enable the ColdFusion lockdown configuration and disable unused features or components that expose command-processing functionality.
Deploy a web application firewall rule set that blocks common OS command-injection payloads targeting ColdFusion request parameters.

bash

# Example firewall rule limiting ColdFusion admin access to trusted management network
# Replace 10.10.20.0/24 with your management CIDR and 8500 with your ColdFusion port
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8500 -s 10.10.20.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8500 -j DROP