# CVE-2025-49538: ColdFusion | XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection) (CWE-91)

> Attackers can inject XML or XPath queries to read unauthorized files or cause denial of service in Adobe ColdFusion.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 9 Jul 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j22j-2qph-cfxc

## What is CVE-2025-49538?

CVE-2025-49538 is a high-severity vulnerability in Adobe Coldfusion, published on 8 Jul 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

ColdFusion versions 2025.2, 2023.14, 2021.20 and earlier are affected by an XML Injection vulnerability that could lead to arbitrary file system read. An attacker can exploit this issue by injecting crafted XML or XPath queries to access unauthorized files or lead to denial of service. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction, and attack must have access to shared secrets.

Weakness: CWE-91 (XML Injection)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-49538?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Adobe Coldfusion.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-49538?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-49538 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-49538 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-49538 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-2025-49538 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-49538 is a high-severity vulnerability in Adobe Coldfusion, published on 8 Jul 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-49538 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-2025-49538/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49538/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-49538
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-49538
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-49538

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49538/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.