CVE-2026-106613

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-106613 is an Improper Input Validation vulnerability in Adobe ColdFusion that allows a low-privileged, authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. With a CVSS score of 8.8, this vulnerability poses a high risk to organizations running vulnerable ColdFusion instances, particularly those exposed to the internet. No public proof-of-concept or patch currently exists, making proactive mitigation critical.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-106613 is classified as CWE-20: Improper Input Validation. The vulnerability resides in ColdFusion, a Java-based application server and development platform widely used for building dynamic web applications. The flaw allows an attacker with low privileges to supply crafted input that the application fails to validate properly, resulting in arbitrary code execution under the security context of the ColdFusion service account.

The CVSS v3.1 vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H indicates that the vulnerability is network-exploitable, requires low attack complexity, and necessitates low-level privileges. No user interaction is required, meaning the attack can be conducted programmatically without tricking a victim into clicking a link or opening a file. The scope remains unchanged, so the impact is confined to the vulnerable component's security authority. The confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are all rated High, reflecting the potential for full system compromise.

The attack surface is the ColdFusion web interface or any exposed service that processes user-supplied input. Because the exact input vector is not detailed in the available intelligence, the precise parameter, endpoint, or parsing routine cannot be confirmed. However, based on the vulnerability class, the flaw likely involves inadequate sanitization of data passed to a dynamic evaluation function, template parser, or server-side script engine. Improper input validation in ColdFusion has historically been associated with deserialization, expression language injection, or path traversal leading to remote code execution. Without further technical disclosure, the exact mechanism remains undetermined.

Given the absence of affected version ranges, patch information, and public exploit code, defenders must assume that all currently supported ColdFusion versions may be vulnerable until Adobe releases an advisory. The low-privilege requirement suggests that an attacker would first need to obtain valid credentials for a ColdFusion administrative or user account, potentially through phishing, credential stuffing, or exploitation of a separate vulnerability. Once authenticated, the attacker could send a crafted request that bypasses input validation, leading to code execution.

Exploitation Scenarios

1) Reconnaissance and Target Identification: An attacker scans the internet for exposed ColdFusion instances using Shodan or similar tools. Common indicators include the "ColdFusion" string in HTTP responses, default administrative paths, or specific server headers. The attacker identifies a target running a potentially vulnerable version.

2) Authentication and Triggering the Flaw: The attacker must possess low privileges on the ColdFusion server. This could be obtained through default credentials, credential reuse, or a separate vulnerability. Once authenticated, the attacker crafts a malicious request targeting an input field that is improperly validated. The specific input vector is unknown, but it likely involves a parameter processed by a server-side component that fails to sanitize user input before passing it to a code execution context.

3) Payload Execution: Based on the vulnerability class (Improper Input Validation leading to RCE), the attacker submits a payload designed to exploit the lack of validation. This could be a specially crafted string that is interpreted as code by the underlying runtime, or a request that manipulates a template or expression to execute arbitrary commands. No public PoC is available, so the exact payload structure cannot be confirmed; the attack chain is inferred from the vulnerability class.

4) Post-Exploitation Impact: Successful exploitation grants the attacker code execution with the privileges of the ColdFusion service account. This could allow the attacker to install malware, exfiltrate sensitive data, pivot to internal systems, or establish persistence. The high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts mean the attacker can read, modify, or destroy data and disrupt operations.

Impact Assessment

The business impact of CVE-2026-106613 is severe. A CVSS score of 8.8 places it in the High severity range. The network attack vector (AV:N) means the vulnerability can be exploited remotely, and the low privileges required (PR:L) lower the barrier for attackers who have already gained a foothold. The absence of user interaction (UI:N) enables automated exploitation at scale.

Affected systems include any Adobe ColdFusion deployment that has not been patched. Because ColdFusion is often used for enterprise web applications, the blast radius could extend to customer-facing services, internal business applications, and databases accessible from the ColdFusion server. The unchanged scope (S:U) means the impact is contained within the ColdFusion application's security context, but the high CIA impacts indicate that the attacker can fully compromise the application and its data.

Organizations in finance, government, healthcare, and e-commerce are particularly at risk due to their reliance on web applications and the sensitive data they process. The lack of a public exploit does not reduce the risk significantly, as determined attackers can develop exploits based on the vulnerability class and any additional details that emerge.

Detection Guidance

Sigma Rule

title: Potential ColdFusion Improper Input Validation Exploitation
id: 3f8a2b1c-9d4e-4f5a-8b7c-1e2d3f4a5b6c
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious POST requests to ColdFusion endpoints that may indicate exploitation of CVE-2026-106613
author: Threat Intelligence Team
date: 2026-01-01
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: iis
    service: access
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'POST'
        cs-uri-stem|contains:
            - '/CFIDE/'
            - '/cfadmin/'
            - '/flex2gateway/'
        sc-status: 200
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate administrative activity
level: high

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2026_106613_ColdFusion_Exploit
{
    meta:
        description = "Detects potential exploitation attempts for CVE-2026-106613 in ColdFusion"
        author = "Threat Intelligence Team"
        date = "2026-01-01"
        reference = "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-106613"
        severity = "high"
    strings:
        $s1 = "java.lang.Runtime" ascii nocase
        $s2 = "getRuntime().exec" ascii nocase
        $s3 = "ProcessBuilder" ascii nocase
        $s4 = "cfexecute" ascii nocase
        $s5 = "evaluate(" ascii nocase
        $s6 = "deserialize" ascii nocase
    condition:
        any of them
}

Suricata IDS Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2026-106613 ColdFusion Improper Input Validation Exploitation Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"POST"; http_method; content:"/CFIDE/"; http_uri; content:"java.lang.Runtime"; http_client_body; nocase; sid:1000001; rev:1; reference:cve,2026-106613;)

Elastic Detection

sequence by host.hostname
  [network where http.request.method == "POST" and url.path : ("/CFIDE/*" or "/cfadmin/*")]
  [process where event.type == "start" and process.parent.name : ("java" or "coldfusion") and process.name : ("cmd.exe" or "powershell.exe" or "/bin/sh")]

Splunk SPL Query

index=web_logs (uri_path="/CFIDE/*" OR uri_path="/cfadmin/*") method=POST status=200
| regex _raw="(?i)(java\.lang\.Runtime|ProcessBuilder|getRuntime\(\)\.exec|cfexecute)"
| stats count by src_ip, uri_path, status
| where count > 0

Wazuh OSSEC Rule

<group name="coldfusion,CVE-2026-106613,">
  <rule id="100100" level="12">
    <decoded_as>json</decoded_as>
    <field name="url">/CFIDE/</field>
    <description>CVE-2026-106613: Potential ColdFusion exploitation attempt detected</description>
    <group>coldfusion,exploit,</group>
  </rule>
</group>

Mitigation & Patch Guidance

Patch confidence: 0/4 (UNPATCHED — no patch evidence from any tracked source).

1) Immediate Mitigations:

• Restrict network access to ColdFusion administrative interfaces (e.g., /CFIDE/, /cfadmin/) to trusted IP addresses only.
• Implement strict input validation and sanitization at the web server or reverse proxy level for all requests to ColdFusion endpoints.
• Deploy virtual patching via WAF rules to block known attack patterns associated with improper input validation and code execution.
• Enforce the principle of least privilege for ColdFusion service accounts to limit the impact of code execution.
• Monitor logs for suspicious POST requests to ColdFusion paths, anomalous process creation from the ColdFusion service account, and unexpected outbound network connections.

2) Patch/Upgrade Steps:

• Monitor Adobe's official security advisory page for ColdFusion for an upcoming patch addressing CVE-2026-106613.
• Once a patch is released, test it in a staging environment before deploying to production.
• Apply the patch urgently, as no workaround exists and exploitation does not require user interaction.
• If a patch is not available, consider isolating ColdFusion instances from untrusted networks and limiting administrative access.

3) Long-Term Hardening:

• Conduct a thorough review of ColdFusion configurations to disable unused features and services.
• Implement regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on ColdFusion.
• Adopt a secure software development lifecycle that includes input validation and output encoding.
• Enable comprehensive logging and monitoring for ColdFusion, including audit logs and file integrity monitoring.
• Stay informed about ColdFusion security updates and subscribe to Adobe's security notifications.

References

1. NVD — CVE-2026-106613: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-106613
2. Adobe Security Advisories: https://helpx.adobe.com/security.html
3. CWE-20: Improper Input Validation: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/20.html
4. MITRE ATT&CK T1190 — Exploit Public-Facing Application: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1190/
5. CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (check for updates): https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog