CVE-2023-22518

Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server Improper Authorization

9.8 CRITICALActively exploited (CISA KEV)Used in ransomwarePublic exploitEPSS 100.0%

Published31 Oct 2023
Added to CISA KEV7 Nov 2023
Remediation due28 Nov 2023

Description

All versions of Confluence Data Center and Server are affected by this unexploited vulnerability. This Improper Authorization vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to reset Confluence and create a Confluence instance administrator account. Using this account, an attacker can then perform all administrative actions that are available to Confluence instance administrator leading to - but not limited to - full loss of confidentiality, integrity and availability. Atlassian Cloud sites are not affected by this vulnerability. If your Confluence site is accessed via an atlassian.net domain, it is hosted by Atlassian and is not vulnerable to this issue.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork

Attack complexityLow

Privileges requiredNone

User interactionNone

ScopeUnchanged

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Atlassian Confluence Data Center≥ 1.0 < 7.19.16 · ≥ 7.20.0 < 8.3.4 · ≥ 8.4.0 < 8.4.4 · ≥ 8.5.0 < 8.5.3

Atlassian Confluence Server≥ 1.0 < 7.19.16 · ≥ 7.20.0 < 8.3.4 · ≥ 8.4.0 < 8.4.4 · ≥ 8.5.0 < 8.5.3

Remediation

Fixed in

Atlassian Confluence Data Center≥ 7.19.16

Atlassian Confluence Server≥ 7.19.16

Patch & vendor advisories

References

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176264/Atlassian-Confluence-Improper-Authorization-Code-Execution.htmlExploitThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://confluence.atlassian.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1311473907Issue TrackingMitigationVendor Advisory
https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFSERVER-93142Issue TrackingMitigationVendor Advisory
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-22518US Government Resource

Related CVEs

Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2023-22518 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2023-22518 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 7 Nov 2023. It has been used in ransomware campaigns.

How severe is CVE-2023-22518?

CVE-2023-22518 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 100.0% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2023-22518?

Affected products include Atlassian Confluence Data Center, Atlassian Confluence Server.

How do I fix CVE-2023-22518?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Atlassian Confluence Data Center 7.19.16, Atlassian Confluence Server 7.19.16 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-22518 against the real software inventory on every managed device, as each hourly inventory arrives. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, a risk for it never ranks below high, and the update that fixes it moves to the Emergency patch lane. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.