CVE-2023-22518: Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server Improper Authorization Vulnerability

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name

Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server Improper Authorization Vulnerability

Vendor

Atlassian

Product

Confluence Data Center and Server

Added to the catalog

2023-11-07

Due date for US federal agencies

2023-11-28

Weaknesses

CWE-863

Catalog version

2026.10.30

Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server contain an improper authorization vulnerability that can result in significant data loss when exploited by an unauthenticated attacker. There is no impact on confidentiality since the attacker cannot exfiltrate any data.

Required action (CISA)

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Ransomware use: CISA marks this vulnerability as known to be used in ransomware campaigns. CISA does not say which group used it.

Links in CISA's notes

• https://confluence.atlassian.com/security/cve-2023-22518-improper-authorization-vulnerability-in-confluence-data-center-and-server-1311473907.html
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-22518

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status

Analyzed

Published

2023-10-31T15:15:08.573

Last modified

2026-06-17T05:35:37.490

Weaknesses

CWE-863

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.

References

• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176264/Atlassian-Confluence-Improper-Authorization-Code-Execution.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://confluence.atlassian.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1311473907 (Issue Tracking, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory)
• https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFSERVER-93142 (Issue Tracking, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory)
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176264/Atlassian-Confluence-Improper-Authorization-Code-Execution.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://confluence.atlassian.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1311473907 (Issue Tracking, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory)
• https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFSERVER-93142 (Issue Tracking, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory)
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-22518 (US Government Resource)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:42:08.214Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2023-22518

CVE record

Assigner

atlassian

State

PUBLISHED

Published

2023-10-31T14:30:00.418Z

Updated

2025-10-21T23:05:32.975Z

Problem types

Improper Authorization

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.

References

• https://confluence.atlassian.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1311473907
• https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFSERVER-93142
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176264/Atlassian-Confluence-Improper-Authorization-Code-Execution.html

Read on 2026-11-03T02:02:39.828Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2023/22xxx/CVE-2023-22518.json

Detection rules (SigmaHQ)

SigmaHQ rules whose own tags name this CVE. Each rule page shows the rule as its author published it.

• CVE-2023-22518 Exploitation Attempt - Suspicious Confluence Child Process (Windows) (status test, level medium)
• CVE-2023-22518 Exploitation Attempt - Vulnerable Endpoint Connection (Proxy) (status test, level medium)
• CVE-2023-22518 Exploitation Attempt - Vulnerable Endpoint Connection (Webserver) (status test, level medium)
• CVE-2023-22518 Exploitation Attempt - Suspicious Confluence Child Process (Linux) (status test, level high)

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
"The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/