CVE-2026-48282 – Critical Path Traversal RCE in Adobe ColdFusion

Key Takeaways

Critical path‑traversal (CWE‑22) in Adobe ColdFusion (CVSS 10.0) enables unauthenticated remote code execution.

Actively exploited in the wild; added to the CISA KEV catalog.

Affects ColdFusion 2025 (up to Update 9) and ColdFusion 2023 (up to Update 20).

Immediate patch to ColdFusion 2025 Update 10 or ColdFusion 2023 Update 21 required.

Deploy network‑level mitigations (e.g., block RDS endpoints) and monitor for exploitation signatures.

Overview

The CVE-2026-48282 vulnerability was publicly disclosed on June 30 2026 and patched by Adobe the same day. It was subsequently added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on July 7 2026, confirming that threat actors are already leveraging the flaw in the wild. The issue resides in the Remote Development Service (RDS) of Adobe ColdFusion, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to traverse directories and write arbitrary files, which can be executed to achieve full remote code execution.

For real‑time signal data, exploitation trends, and additional context, see the live CVE page on VulnSocial: https://vulnsocial.com/cve/CVE-2026-48282.

Technical Details

Vulnerability type: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory (CWE‑22 – Path Traversal).
Vector: HTTP request to the RDS endpoint (/CFIDE/administrator/remote.cfm or similar) containing directory‑traversal sequences (../ or %2e%2e%2f) that bypass the intended sandbox.
Authentication: None required (PR:N, UI:N).
Impact: Arbitrary file write → arbitrary code execution (C:H/I:H/A:H). The attacker can drop a web shell or malicious JAR and trigger it, gaining code execution in the context of the ColdFusion service.
Exploitability: Low (AC:L) with network‑accessible vector (AV:N). The vulnerability is actively exploited, as evidenced by multiple threat‑intel feeds and CISA’s KEV entry.

Example of a malicious request (illustrative only):

POST /CFIDE/administrator/remote.cfm HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

cmd=upload&file=../../../../../../webroot/shell.jsp&data=...

The request writes shell.jsp to the webroot, after which a simple HTTP GET to http://vulnerable.example.com/shell.jsp executes attacker‑controlled code.

Severity & Impact

CVE	CVSS	Severity	Vector
CVE-2026-48282	CVSS 3.1 10.0	Critical	AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

The CVSS vector reflects network‑wide, unauthenticated, high‑impact exploitation, justifying the Critical rating.

Affected Products

Adobe ColdFusion 2025 – all updates up to Update 9 (inclusive).
Adobe ColdFusion 2023 – all updates up to Update 20 (inclusive).

For the exhaustive list of affected CPE entries and version numbers, refer to the VulnSocial CVE page: https://vulnsocial.com/cve/CVE-2026-48282.

Actionable Insights

What to Monitor	Why it Matters
Inbound traffic to RDS endpoints (`/CFIDE/administrator/remote.cfm`, `/coldfusion/remote.cfm`)	Direct exploitation attempts target these URLs.
File system changes in the webroot (new `.jsp`, `.war`, `.php` files)	Successful exploitation writes malicious payloads.
IDS/IPS alerts for “../” or “%2e%2e%2f” patterns	Typical path‑traversal payloads.
Threat‑intel feeds (VulnSocial, CISA KEV)	Early warning of new exploit tools or campaigns.

Detection tip: Enable logging of HTTP request URIs and query strings on the ColdFusion server. Correlate any request containing ../ or %2e%2e%2f with a subsequent file creation event.

Remediation & Mitigation

Patch immediately – apply ColdFusion 2025 Update 10 or ColdFusion 2023 Update 21 (or later) as released by Adobe.
If patching cannot be performed within the next 24 hours, disable the Remote Development Service or restrict it to trusted IP ranges via firewall or web‑application firewall (WAF) rules.
Conduct a forensic sweep of the ColdFusion webroot for unexpected files (e.g., .jsp, .war, .php). Quarantine or remove any suspicious artifacts.
Update IDS/IPS signatures to detect the specific path‑traversal payloads used in known exploits (see public signatures on VulnSocial).
Follow CISA KEV guidance – apply mitigations in line with BOD 26‑04 and ensure compliance with the “Forensics Triage Requirements”.

Bottom Line

CVE-2026-48282 is a Critical (CVSS 10.0) path‑traversal flaw in Adobe ColdFusion that enables unauthenticated remote code execution and is already being exploited. The fastest path to security is to apply Adobe’s patch (2025 Update 10 / 2023 Update 21) and, if that’s not possible, disable or firewall‑block the Remote Development Service while you monitor for exploitation attempts.

References

Adobe Security Advisory – APSB26‑68: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb26-68.html
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog entry: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-48282

#CVE #Critical #RCE #CISAKEV #Adobe #ColdFusion #CVE202648282