# CVE-2022-38421: Adobe ColdFusion Application Server Directory Traversal Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

> An attacker with administrator privileges can exploit a path traversal flaw in Adobe ColdFusion to execute arbitrary code on the server.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Oct 2022
- **Updated:** 23 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rx5h-9rr9-9679

## What is CVE-2022-38421?

CVE-2022-38421 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Adobe Coldfusion, published on 14 Oct 2022. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Adobe ColdFusion versions Update 14 (and earlier) and Update 4 (and earlier) are affected by an Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction, but does require administrator privileges.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-38421?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Adobe Coldfusion.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-38421?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-38421 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-38421 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-38421 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Adobe Coldfusion

- [CVE-2026-48282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48282/): Adobe ColdFusion Path Traversal (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-38203](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38203/): Adobe ColdFusion Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-29300](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29300/): Adobe ColdFusion Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-26359](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26359/): Adobe ColdFusion Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-15961](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-15961/): Adobe ColdFusion Unrestricted File Upload (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-38421 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-38421 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Adobe Coldfusion, published on 14 Oct 2022. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-38421 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Adobe Coldfusion. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-38421/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-38421/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-38421
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38421
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-38421

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-38421/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.