Adobe ColdFusion Security Flaws: Critical CVEs and Fixes

Adobe ColdFusion Security Flaws: Critical CVEs and Fixes

Adobe's April 2025 security update for ColdFusion addressed a serious group of vulnerabilities affecting ColdFusion 2025, 2023, and 2021.

Adobe's APSB25-15 bulletin documented 15 ColdFusion vulnerabilities: 11 Critical and four Important. The most severe flaws could lead to arbitrary code execution, arbitrary file-system reads, or security-feature bypass.

The affected weaknesses included deserialization of untrusted data, improper authentication, improper access control, OS command injection, path traversal, input-validation flaws, information exposure, and reflected cross-site scripting.

For organizations that ran the affected ColdFusion versions, the April 2025 update was therefore an important security release rather than a routine maintenance patch.

However, there is an equally important point for anyone reading this today:

ColdFusion 2021 Update 19, ColdFusion 2023 Update 13, and ColdFusion 2025 Update 1 were the April 2025 fixes. They are no longer the current security patch levels.

Adobe has published multiple additional ColdFusion security updates since then. As of September 2026, Adobe's latest ColdFusion bulletin recommends ColdFusion 2025 version 2025.0.13 and ColdFusion 2023 version 2023.0.24.

Organizations should therefore verify their current ColdFusion version against Adobe's latest security guidance rather than installing only the historical April 2025 patch.

Adobe ColdFusion April 2025 Security Update at a Glance

Adobe classified APSB25-15 as a Priority 1 update and recommended upgrading affected installations. Adobe APSB25-15 ColdFusion Security Bulletin

For security teams responsible for internet-facing applications, ColdFusion patching should also be part of a broader vulnerability management program that tracks exposed assets, prioritizes risk, applies fixes, and verifies that remediation actually worked.

What Was Affected in ColdFusion?

Adobe identified the following affected versions in the April 2025 bulletin:

Those versions are useful for understanding the historical incident.

They should not be interpreted as the versions administrators should install today.

Adobe has continued releasing ColdFusion security updates since April 2025.

Current ColdFusion Security Status in 2026

As of September 17, 2026, Adobe's latest ColdFusion security bulletin is APSB26-119, published September 8, 2026.

It identifies:

• ColdFusion 2025 version 2025.0.12 and earlier as affected.
• ColdFusion 2023 version 2023.0.23 and earlier as affected.

Adobe recommends updating to:

• ColdFusion 2025: 2025.0.13
• ColdFusion 2023: 2023.0.24

That bulletin addresses additional Critical and Important vulnerabilities capable of causing arbitrary code execution, privilege escalation, arbitrary file-system reads, and application denial-of-service.

Adobe APSB26-119 ColdFusion Security Bulletin

This is why patch management must be continuous. Applying an important security patch once does not protect an application indefinitely.

Hoplon InfoSec's vulnerability management guide explains the distinction between applying individual patches and maintaining a continuous process for discovering, prioritizing, remediating, and verifying vulnerabilities.

The 11 Critical ColdFusion Vulnerabilities

Adobe rated 11 of the APSB25-15 vulnerabilities as Critical.

CVE-2025-24446 - Improper Input Validation

CVSS: 9.1
Impact: Arbitrary file-system read

Improper input validation occurs when an application does not sufficiently validate data before processing it.

In this case, successful exploitation could allow an attacker to read files from the underlying system under the conditions described by Adobe.

Sensitive application configuration files, credentials, or other server-side information can make file-read vulnerabilities particularly dangerous.

CVE-2025-24447 - Deserialization of Untrusted Data

CVSS: 9.1
Impact: Arbitrary code execution

This vulnerability involves unsafe deserialization.

Applications often serialize data so it can be stored or transmitted and later reconstruct that data into objects.

If attacker-controlled serialized data is processed without adequate restrictions, it may manipulate application behavior and, in serious cases, result in arbitrary code execution.

CVE-2025-24447 is particularly important because Adobe's CVSS vector lists it as network-accessible, requiring no privileges and no user interaction.

CVE-2025-30281 - Improper Access Control

CVSS: 9.1
Impact: Arbitrary file-system read

Access-control vulnerabilities occur when an application fails to correctly enforce which resources a user or process should be allowed to access.

Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-30281 could result in arbitrary file-system reads.

This can expose sensitive server-side information even when the application itself appears to be functioning normally.

CVE-2025-30282 - Improper Authentication

CVSS: 9.1
Impact: Arbitrary code execution

Authentication should ensure that only properly verified users or processes can perform protected actions.

Adobe classified CVE-2025-30282 as an improper-authentication vulnerability capable of arbitrary code execution.

A weakness affecting authentication and code execution deserves particular attention in an enterprise web-application platform because successful exploitation could potentially provide access far beyond the vulnerable application function.

CVE-2025-30284 - Unsafe Deserialization

CVSS: 8.0
Impact: Arbitrary code execution

CVE-2025-30284 is another deserialization-of-untrusted-data flaw.

It illustrates why server-side applications should never assume serialized input is trustworthy simply because it follows the expected format.

CVE-2025-30285 - Unsafe Deserialization

CVSS: 8.0
Impact: Arbitrary code execution

Like CVE-2025-30284, this vulnerability involves insecure processing of serialized data and can lead to arbitrary code execution.

Multiple vulnerabilities in the same category can also indicate why administrators should apply the complete vendor security update rather than attempting to mitigate only the highest-scoring individual CVE.

CVE-2025-30286 - OS Command Injection

CVSS: 8.0
Impact: Arbitrary code execution

OS command injection occurs when application-controlled input reaches an operating-system command without adequate validation or isolation.

This type of vulnerability is dangerous because it can cross the boundary between the web application and the underlying operating system.

Other enterprise products can face similar command-execution risks; Hoplon's coverage of remote code execution vulnerabilities provides additional context on why command injection is treated seriously.

CVE-2025-30287 - Improper Authentication

CVSS: 8.1
Impact: Arbitrary code execution

This vulnerability could allow arbitrary code execution because of improper authentication.

Unlike several network-based vulnerabilities in the bulletin, Adobe's CVSS vector describes this issue as locally exploitable, but it still received a Critical severity rating.

CVE-2025-30288 - Improper Access Control

CVSS: 7.8
Impact: Security-feature bypass

CVE-2025-30288 is an access-control weakness that Adobe says can result in security-feature bypass.

A security-feature bypass does not necessarily mean direct remote code execution, but it can weaken controls that the application depends on to prevent unauthorized actions.

CVE-2025-30289 - OS Command Injection

CVSS: 7.5
Impact: Arbitrary code execution

This is another operating-system command-injection vulnerability.

Adobe's CVSS assessment indicates that exploitation requires local access and higher complexity than some of the other flaws, but successful exploitation can still lead to code execution.

CVE-2025-30290 - Path Traversal

CVSS: 8.7
Impact: Security-feature bypass

Path traversal occurs when an application fails to sufficiently restrict file or directory paths supplied through user-controlled input.

An attacker may attempt to use path manipulation such as directory traversal sequences to escape the directory the application intended to access.

Adobe classifies the direct impact of CVE-2025-30290 as security-feature bypass.

That wording is important. It is more accurate than describing the vulnerability automatically as arbitrary file disclosure.

Four Additional Important ColdFusion Vulnerabilities

APSB25-15 also contains four Important-severity vulnerabilities:

• CVE-2025-30291 - Information exposure
• CVE-2025-30292 - Reflected cross-site scripting
• CVE-2025-30293 - Improper input validation
• CVE-2025-30294 - Improper input validation

Their CVSS scores are lower than the Critical vulnerabilities, but lower severity does not mean they should be ignored.

Security teams should evaluate vulnerabilities based on:

• Internet exposure
• Application role
• Data sensitivity
• Available attack paths
• Required privileges
• Existing mitigations
• Exploitability
• Business impact

CVSS is useful for severity context, but it should not be the only factor used to prioritize remediation.

Why Deserialization Vulnerabilities Matter

Deserialization converts previously serialized data back into objects an application can use.

The process itself is normal.

The danger appears when applications deserialize attacker-controlled content without sufficient restrictions.

Depending on the language, framework, object types, and implementation, malicious serialized data can sometimes cause unexpected object creation, method execution, or other application behavior.

For ColdFusion administrators, this is especially relevant because APSB25-15 included several Critical deserialization vulnerabilities.

Adobe also specifically advised customers to review its updated serial-filter guidance for protection against insecure WDDX deserialization attacks.

Administrators should therefore treat the vendor's configuration and hardening guidance as part of remediation, not just the installation of a single patch.

Why Improper Authentication and Access Control Are Dangerous

Authentication answers:

Who are you?

Authorization and access control answer:

What are you allowed to do?

Weaknesses in either layer can undermine an otherwise secure application.

Improper authentication can allow protected functions to be reached without the intended identity checks.

Improper access control can allow authenticated or unauthenticated actors to access resources they should not have.

When the affected resource includes application files, server-side functions, or privileged functionality, the impact can range from information disclosure to full code execution.

This is why security teams should combine patching with application-security testing and continuous exposure management rather than treating vulnerabilities as isolated CVE numbers.

Adobe Also Patched Other Products in April 2025

ColdFusion was not the only Adobe product receiving security updates on April 8, 2025.

Adobe also published security bulletins for creative and enterprise products including After Effects, Media Encoder, Bridge, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Animate, FrameMaker, Adobe Commerce, AEM products, and the XMP Toolkit SDK.

The original Hoplon article focused mainly on the following creative products.

Adobe After Effects

Adobe patched seven vulnerabilities in APSB25-23.

Two were Critical out-of-bounds-write vulnerabilities:

• CVE-2025-27182
• CVE-2025-27183

Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.

The bulletin also addressed memory-disclosure and application-denial-of-service vulnerabilities.

The April 2025 fixed versions were:

• After Effects 24.6.5
• After Effects 25.2

Adobe Media Encoder

APSB25-24 fixed two Critical vulnerabilities:

• CVE-2025-27194 - Out-of-bounds write
• CVE-2025-27195 - Heap-based buffer overflow

Both could lead to arbitrary code execution.

The April 2025 fixed versions were:

• Media Encoder 24.6.5
• Media Encoder 25.2

Adobe Bridge

APSB25-25 fixed:

• CVE-2025-27193

Adobe classified it as a Critical heap-based buffer overflow capable of arbitrary code execution.

The April fixed versions were Bridge 14.1.6 and 15.0.3.

Adobe Premiere Pro

APSB25-28 addressed:

• CVE-2025-27196

The Critical heap-based buffer overflow could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.

The April 2025 fixed releases were Premiere Pro 24.6.5 and 25.2.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe's APSB25-30 bulletin fixed:

• CVE-2025-27198

The heap-based buffer overflow was rated Critical with a CVSS score of 7.8 and could lead to arbitrary code execution.

Adobe released Photoshop 2024 version 25.12.2 and Photoshop 2025 version 26.5 as the April fixes.

Adobe Animate

APSB25-31 addressed four vulnerabilities.

Critical flaws included:

• CVE-2025-27199 - Heap-based buffer overflow
• CVE-2025-27200 - Use-after-free

Both could lead to arbitrary code execution.

Two additional Important out-of-bounds-read vulnerabilities could expose memory.

The April fixed versions were Animate 2023 version 23.0.11 and Animate 2024 version 24.0.8.

Adobe FrameMaker

FrameMaker received one of the larger April 2025 creative-product security updates.

APSB25-33 documented ten vulnerabilities, including six Critical memory-safety issues capable of arbitrary code execution.

These included:

• CVE-2025-30304
• CVE-2025-30295
• CVE-2025-30296
• CVE-2025-30297
• CVE-2025-30298
• CVE-2025-30299

The bulletin also fixed application-denial-of-service and memory-disclosure issues.

The April fixed releases were FrameMaker 2020 Update 8 and FrameMaker 2022 Update 6.

Do Not Install These Historical Versions as Your Final Patch Target

The version numbers above describe what fixed the vulnerabilities in April 2025.

They are not a recommendation to downgrade or stop updating at those releases today.

Adobe has issued newer security updates for many of these products since then.

Current users should verify the latest supported version through Adobe's security bulletin system and product update mechanism.

Adobe Security Bulletins and Advisories

Were the April 2025 ColdFusion Vulnerabilities Actively Exploited?

At the time APSB25-15 was published, Adobe stated that it was not aware of exploitation in the wild for the vulnerabilities covered by that bulletin.

That statement should be interpreted according to its time period.

It means Adobe had no known exploitation evidence for those particular April 2025 vulnerabilities when the bulletin was issued.

It does not mean ColdFusion as a platform has remained free from exploitation since then.

ColdFusion has continued receiving security updates, reinforcing why administrators should monitor current vendor advisories rather than relying only on historical patch status.

Why Internet-Facing ColdFusion Servers Need Special Attention

ColdFusion often supports web applications and can therefore be exposed directly or indirectly to untrusted network traffic.

An internet-facing server with an exploitable vulnerability can carry more immediate risk than an isolated internal system.

Administrators should therefore identify:

• Which ColdFusion servers are exposed to the internet
• Which versions they run
• Whether administrative interfaces are externally accessible
• Whether legacy applications depend on outdated ColdFusion releases
• Which Java/JDK version is being used
• Whether unnecessary services are exposed
• Whether application and server logs show suspicious behavior
• Whether security configurations align with Adobe's hardening guidance

Continuous asset visibility is particularly important here.

Hoplon's Attack Surface Management service focuses on identifying externally exposed systems, outdated software, misconfigurations, and newly introduced attack surface before those assets are forgotten.

How Organizations Should Respond

1. Inventory Every ColdFusion Installation

Start by identifying every ColdFusion instance in the organization.

Record:

• Version
• Update level
• Operating system
• Java/JDK version
• Internet exposure
• Application owner
• Business criticality
• Authentication requirements
• Network location

An untracked server cannot be patched reliably.

2. Compare Versions Against Current Adobe Guidance

Do not compare only against APSB25-15.

If a system is still on ColdFusion 2023 Update 13 simply because that fixed the April 2025 vulnerabilities, it has missed many later security releases.

As of September 2026, Adobe's latest bulletin recommends 2023.0.24 for ColdFusion 2023 and 2025.0.13 for ColdFusion 2025.

3. Prioritize Internet-Facing and Critical Systems

Patch prioritization should account for more than CVSS.

Give particular attention to:

• Public web applications
• Administrative servers
• Systems containing sensitive data
• High-value business applications
• Systems with privileged network access
• Servers that cannot be isolated easily

4. Test Updates Before Broad Production Deployment

Security patches should be applied promptly, but enterprise environments should still test significant updates where operationally possible.

A staged deployment can help identify:

• Application compatibility problems
• Dependency conflicts
• Java/JDK issues
• Custom-code problems
• Unexpected service failures

Testing should not become an excuse for indefinite delay.

The objective is to reduce both cybersecurity risk and operational risk.

5. Back Up Critical Systems

Maintain verified backups of:

• Application files
• Configuration
• Databases
• Custom ColdFusion code
• Important server settings

Backups should be tested periodically rather than assumed to work.

6. Update the Supported JDK/JRE

Adobe's APSB25-15 guidance recommends keeping the ColdFusion JDK/JRE LTS release current.

The correct Java version depends on the ColdFusion release and Adobe support matrix.

Administrators should avoid independently installing an arbitrary Java release without confirming compatibility.

7. Review ColdFusion Security Configuration

Patching fixes known software vulnerabilities.

Hardening reduces unnecessary exposure.

Review areas such as:

• Administrative interface access
• Authentication
• File permissions
• Network exposure
• Service accounts
• Application permissions
• JEE serial filters where applicable
• Logging
• TLS settings
• Unused services

8. Monitor for Suspicious Activity

After patching, review systems for signs that compromise may have occurred before remediation.

Depending on the environment, useful areas may include:

• Web server logs
• ColdFusion logs
• Authentication records
• Process activity
• Unexpected scheduled tasks
• New accounts
• Modified files
• Unusual outbound connections
• Web-shell indicators

A patch removes a vulnerability; it does not automatically remove an attacker who exploited the system before it was patched.

Patch Management is More Than Automatic Updates

The original article correctly emphasized regular updates, but enterprise patch management requires more than enabling automatic installation everywhere.

A practical process includes:

Asset Inventory

Know which applications and versions are deployed.

Vulnerability Intelligence

Track vendor advisories and relevant CVEs.

Risk Prioritization

Determine which weaknesses deserve immediate attention based on exposure and business impact.

Testing

Validate high-impact patches in an appropriate staging or pilot environment.

Deployment

Apply the update through controlled management systems.

Verification

Confirm that the patched version actually installed successfully.

Monitoring

Watch for failed updates, regressions, and suspicious activity.

Documentation

Maintain evidence showing what was patched, when, by whom, and whether remediation was verified.

These steps form part of the broader vulnerability-remediation lifecycle rather than a one-time patching exercise.

Why Creative Applications Also Need Security Updates

Creative applications such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Animate, Bridge, and Media Encoder may not look like traditional high-risk enterprise infrastructure.

However, they regularly parse complex and sometimes untrusted files.

Memory-corruption vulnerabilities such as:

• Heap-based buffer overflows
• Out-of-bounds writes
• Use-after-free errors
• Integer underflows

can become security issues when a maliciously crafted file reaches a vulnerable application.

Several April 2025 Adobe creative-product vulnerabilities required user interaction, according to their CVSS vectors.

That often means an attacker would need the target user to open or process malicious content.

This does not make the vulnerabilities harmless.

Attackers frequently rely on documents, media files, archives, links, and other user-delivered content as part of initial-access campaigns.

Key Takeaways for Security Teams

The April 2025 Adobe security release remains useful as a case study in why application patching matters.

The most important points are:

1. Adobe's APSB25-15 bulletin lists 15 ColdFusion vulnerabilities, not 30.
2. 11 were rated Critical.
3. Several vulnerabilities could cause arbitrary code execution.
4. Others could allow arbitrary file-system reads or security-feature bypass.
5. ColdFusion 2025, 2023, and 2021 were affected by the April bulletin.
6. Update 1, Update 13, and Update 19 were the April 2025 fixes, not today's current versions.
7. Adobe has released numerous subsequent ColdFusion security updates.
8. Current ColdFusion installations should be checked against the latest Adobe bulletin.
9. Creative applications such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Bridge, Media Encoder, Animate, and FrameMaker also received important April 2025 fixes.
10. Patch deployment should include inventory, testing, verification, hardening, and monitoring.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many ColdFusion vulnerabilities did Adobe fix in APSB25-15?

Adobe's official APSB25-15 vulnerability table lists 15 CVEs.

Eleven are rated Critical and four are rated Important.

What were the most severe ColdFusion vulnerabilities?

Four vulnerabilities received a CVSS score of 9.1:

• CVE-2025-24446
• CVE-2025-24447
• CVE-2025-30281
• CVE-2025-30282

Their impacts include arbitrary file-system reads and arbitrary code execution.

Was ColdFusion 2025 affected?

Yes.

Adobe's April 2025 bulletin included ColdFusion 2025 build 331385 and provided Update 1 as the historical fix.

Newer patches have since been released.

Was ColdFusion 2023 affected?

Yes.

Update 12 and earlier were affected by APSB25-15, with Update 13 released as the April 2025 fix.

Today, administrators should check Adobe's current security bulletin rather than stopping at Update 13.

Was ColdFusion 2021 affected?

Yes, APSB25-15 covered ColdFusion 2021 Update 18 and earlier and provided Update 19 as the April 2025 patched version.

Current administrators should verify the support and security status of any remaining ColdFusion 2021 installations through Adobe.

Were these vulnerabilities exploited in the wild?

Adobe stated in APSB25-15 that it was not aware of in-the-wild exploitation of the vulnerabilities addressed by that update at the time the bulletin was published.

That statement applies to those vulnerabilities and that reporting period.

Is ColdFusion 2023 Update 13 still enough?

No organization should assume that it is.

Update 13 addressed the April 2025 bulletin, but Adobe published many additional security updates later.

As of September 2026, Adobe's latest bulletin recommends ColdFusion 2023 version 2023.0.24.

Should organizations patch immediately?

Critical and internet-exposed systems should receive high remediation priority.

Enterprise teams should still account for dependencies and operational risk, but testing should be performed quickly enough that it does not turn into prolonged exposure.

Do security patches replace vulnerability management?

No.

Patch management addresses vulnerabilities for which vendor fixes exist.

A complete vulnerability-management program also includes asset discovery, prioritization, configuration remediation, mitigation, verification, exception management, and continuous monitoring.

Conclusion

Adobe's April 2025 ColdFusion security release addressed a significant group of vulnerabilities, including 11 Critical flaws capable of causing code execution, file-system access, or security-control bypass under the conditions described by Adobe.

The most important lesson today is not simply that those vulnerabilities were patched.

It is that security status changes continuously.

A ColdFusion installation considered fully patched in April 2025 may be seriously outdated in September 2026.

Organizations should therefore avoid treating vulnerability remediation as a one-time event.

Maintain an accurate software inventory, monitor Adobe security advisories, prioritize internet-facing systems, test and deploy updates promptly, verify that fixes actually installed, review security configuration, and continue monitoring systems after remediation.

For organizations operating ColdFusion or other critical application infrastructure, the question should not be:

“Did we install the patch from last year?”

It should be:

“Are we running the latest supported and secured version today, and have we verified that the exposure is actually gone?”

Last Updated: September 17, 2026

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