# CVE-2023-22515: Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server Broken Access Control

> External attackers can create unauthorized administrator accounts and access Confluence Data Center or Server instances.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 5 Oct 2023 (CISA KEV), used in ransomware
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 4 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 25 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g458-xvmc-qg2r

## What is CVE-2023-22515?

CVE-2023-22515 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Atlassian Confluence Data Center, published on 4 Oct 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Atlassian has been made aware of an issue reported by a handful of customers where external attackers may have exploited a previously unknown vulnerability in publicly accessible Confluence Data Center and Server instances to create unauthorized Confluence administrator accounts and access Confluence instances. 

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.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-22515?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Atlassian Confluence Data Center, Atlassian Confluence Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-22515?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-22515 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 13 Oct 2023.

## Is CVE-2023-22515 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-22515 in the wild since at least 5 Oct 2023, including in ransomware campaigns.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2023-22515: Confluence Broken Access Control Exploit (github_poc): https://github.com/Chocapikk/CVE-2023-22515
- Confluence未授权添加管理员用户(CVE-2023-22515)漏洞利用工具 (github_poc): https://github.com/ad-calcium/CVE-2023-22515
- Scanner for CVE-2023-22515 - Broken Access Control Vulnerability in Atlassian Confluence (github_poc): https://github.com/ErikWynter/CVE-2023-22515-Scan
- CVE-2023-22515 (github_poc): https://github.com/AIex-3/confluence-hack
- Confluence Unauthorized Administrator User Addition Exploitation Script (github_poc): https://github.com/s1incere/CVE-2023-22515
- 配合 CVE-2023-22515 后台上传jar包实现RCE (github_poc): https://github.com/aaaademo/Confluence-EvilJar

## Other vulnerabilities in Atlassian Confluence Data Center

- [CVE-2023-22527](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22527/): Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server Template Injection (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-22518](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22518/): Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server Improper Authorization (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-26134](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-26134/): Atlassian Confluence Server and Data Center Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-26084](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-26084/): Atlassian Confluence Server and Data Center Object-Graph Navigation Language (OGNL) Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-26085](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-26085/): Atlassian Confluence Server Pre-Authorization Arbitrary File Read (medium 5.3, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-22515 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-22515 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Atlassian Confluence Data Center, published on 4 Oct 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-22515 in the wild since at least 5 Oct 2023, including in ransomware campaigns.

Affected product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center. 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-2023-22515/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22515/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-22515
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-22515
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-22515

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22515/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.