CVE-2018-15961Known exploitationPublic exploitNetwork attack vectorHinoki check available

Unauthenticated code execution via unrestricted file-manager upload

Published Sep 25, 2018 · Updated Oct 21, 2025

Unrestricted upload in Adobe ColdFusion 11, 2016, and 2018 allows remote attackers to execute code via the CKEditor file manager. The file manager’s upload.cfm endpoint accepts attacker-controlled file content without restricting dangerous file types and stores it in a web-accessible uploadedFiles directory. Exploitation requires network access to that endpoint but no credentials; uploaded executable content runs with the server’s privileges.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability99.95%
Next 30 days · Nov 1, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkAvailable
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Summary

What happened

Unrestricted upload in Adobe ColdFusion 11, 2016, and 2018 allows remote attackers to execute code via the CKEditor file manager. The file manager’s upload.cfm endpoint accepts attacker-controlled file content without restricting dangerous file types and stores it in a web-accessible uploadedFiles directory. Exploitation requires network access to that endpoint but no credentials; uploaded executable content runs with the server’s privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2018-15961
Published
Sep 25, 2018
Updated
Oct 21, 2025
Vendor
Adobe Inc.
Product
ColdFusion
Classifications
CWE-434, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 25, 2018CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=July 12 release (2018.0.0.310739), Update 6 and earlier, and Update 14 and earlier versions

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Adobe Inc. · ColdFusionversion=July 12 release (2018.0.0.310739), Update 6 and earlier, and Update 14 and earlier versions

Published CVSS scores

9.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.

Daily unique IPsShadowserver observations through Sep 28, 2026. Gaps indicate unavailable data.
Sep 22, 2026Sep 28, 2026
View daily counts
Reporting dayUnique IPs
Sep 22, 20262
Sep 23, 20261
Sep 24, 20265
Sep 25, 20261
Sep 26, 20261
Sep 27, 20262
Sep 28, 20262
Latest reporting daySep 28, 2026
Latest daily unique IPs2
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-434Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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