CVE-2023-22515
About
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.
Rainforest analyst review
This is a broken access control flaw in Confluence Data Center and Server that lets an external, unauthenticated attacker reach setup functionality on a publicly accessible instance and create their own administrator account. Rather than injecting code, the attacker abuses improperly protected endpoints to hand themselves full admin rights, then logs in and operates the instance as a legitimate administrator, from which further compromise follows naturally.
Atlassian disclosed this after real customers were already hit, and the activity was tied to a state-linked actor, so the exploitation window predates the advisory and any exposed instance should be investigated, not just upgraded. Confluence commonly stores internal documentation, credentials, and links into other systems, so an attacker-created admin account is a springboard across the environment. Upgrade to a fixed version immediately, and because patching does not remove accounts already planted, audit the user list for unfamiliar or recently created administrators, review recent admin actions and add-on installations, and rotate credentials and tokens reachable from the server. If the instance was internet-facing before patching, assume takeover and hunt accordingly.
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/175225/Atlassian-Confluence-Unauthenticated-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/KB/FAQ+for+CVE-2023-22515
- https://confluence.atlassian.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1295682276
- https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFSERVER-92475
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-22515
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Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2023-22515?
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.
How severe is CVE-2023-22515?
CVE-2023-22515 carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated critical. On the Rainforest Risk Index — which weighs the severity alongside how easy the flaw is to reach and how broad its impact is — it scores 99 out of 100, in the critical band.
How is CVE-2023-22515 exploited?
According to the CVSS vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H): attack vector Network, attack complexity Low, privileges required None, user interaction None. Impact on confidentiality High, integrity High and availability High.
Which products are affected by CVE-2023-22515?
Public advisories list the following as affected: confluence data center, confluence server. Check the references on this page for the exact versions each vendor confirms.
How do I fix CVE-2023-22515?
Apply the fix the vendor published — the references on this page link to the primary advisories and patches. When patching can't happen right away, reduce the exposure of the affected component and watch it for exploitation attempts. Rainforest customers see this vulnerability correlated to their own assets and prioritized by real exposure, not by score alone.
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