CVE-2026-76002: Adobe ColdFusion Reflected XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2026-76002 Overview

Adobe ColdFusion contains a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability tracked as CVE-2026-76002. An attacker who convinces a victim to visit a crafted URL referencing a vulnerable ColdFusion page can execute arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser session. The vulnerability requires user interaction and results in a scope change, meaning executed script can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-79] Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows attackers to run malicious JavaScript in the victim's browser context, enabling session data theft, credential harvesting, and unauthorized actions performed as the authenticated user.

Affected Products

Adobe ColdFusion (versions listed in Adobe advisory APSB26-119)

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-08 - CVE-2026-76002 published to NVD
2026-09-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-76002

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a reflected XSS flaw in Adobe ColdFusion. Reflected XSS occurs when a web application accepts user input in a request and returns it in the response without proper output encoding or sanitization. In this case, ColdFusion echoes attacker-supplied input from a URL parameter directly into rendered HTML, allowing browser-side script execution.

Because the CVSS scope is changed, the injected script can access or affect resources beyond the vulnerable ColdFusion page. Attackers can leverage this to pivot into authenticated administrative interfaces, exfiltrate session tokens, or perform actions on behalf of the victim.

The attack vector is network-based, and exploitation requires the victim to click a crafted link or visit an attacker-controlled page.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of user-controlled input rendered into an HTTP response. ColdFusion fails to encode or sanitize input contextually before reflecting it in HTML output, allowing script tags and event handlers to execute.

Attack Vector

An attacker crafts a URL containing malicious JavaScript payloads targeting a vulnerable ColdFusion endpoint. The victim is lured through phishing, malicious advertising, or social engineering. When the victim loads the URL, the server reflects the payload, and the browser executes it under the origin of the ColdFusion application.

Refer to the Adobe ColdFusion Security Advisory APSB26-119 for endpoint-specific technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-76002

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP request logs showing URL parameters containing <script>, onerror=, javascript:, or encoded variants targeting ColdFusion pages.
Referrer headers indicating users arrived at ColdFusion pages from untrusted external domains via long or obfuscated URLs.
Outbound requests from browsers to unfamiliar domains immediately after loading a ColdFusion page.

Detection Strategies

Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to identify reflected XSS patterns in query strings and form parameters targeting ColdFusion endpoints.
Correlate web server access logs with browser telemetry to identify script execution originating from reflected input.
Monitor Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for inline script executions on ColdFusion applications.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest ColdFusion access logs and web proxy logs into a centralized SIEM for pattern analysis on suspicious query parameters.
Alert on repeated 200-response requests containing HTML meta-characters in URL parameters.
Track user reports of unexpected browser behavior or session anomalies after visiting internal ColdFusion applications.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-76002

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the security update referenced in Adobe Security Bulletin APSB26-119 as soon as available for your ColdFusion version.
Inventory all ColdFusion deployments and identify externally accessible instances for prioritized patching.
Educate users to avoid clicking untrusted links referencing internal ColdFusion applications.

Patch Information

Adobe published guidance in security bulletin APSB26-119. Administrators should consult the Adobe ColdFusion Security Advisory for the specific patched versions and update procedures applicable to their ColdFusion release.

Workarounds

Deploy a WAF with rules that block reflected XSS payloads targeting ColdFusion endpoints until patches are applied.
Implement a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and restricts script sources to trusted origins.
Enable HttpOnly and Secure flags on session cookies to reduce token exfiltration impact if XSS executes.
Restrict access to ColdFusion administrative interfaces to trusted internal networks or VPN users.

bash

# Example CSP header to reduce reflected XSS impact
Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'; object-src 'none'; base-uri 'self'; frame-ancestors 'none'