# CVE-2023-22527: Confluence Data Center - RCE

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2023-22527 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2023-22527

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Background Noise. Continuous low-level scanning or exploitation attempts are observed, mostly opportunistic and automated.
- **CVSS score:** 9.8
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** Atlassian Confluence Server
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection'))
- **Tags:** enterprise_software, wiki

## Description

A template injection vulnerability on older versions of Confluence Data Center and Server allows an unauthenticated attacker to achieve RCE on an affected instance. Customers using an affected version must take immediate action.

Most recent supported versions of Confluence Data Center and Server are not affected by this vulnerability as it was ultimately mitigated during regular version updates. However, Atlassian recommends that customers take care to install the latest version to protect their instances from non-critical vulnerabilities outlined in Atlassian’s January Security Bulletin.

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2023-22527](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2023-22527) is a critical template injection vulnerability in Confluence Data Center and Server that enables unauthenticated remote code execution.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 5th of February 2024.

CrowdSec network data shows that most actors exploiting CVE-2023-22527 rely on broad, untargeted scans with minimal filtering. The activity is largely automated and opportunistic in nature.
Additionally, according to week-over-week analysis by CrowdSec, exploitation of CVE-2023-22527 is surging. Attack volumes are spiking well above historical norms, indicating widespread and escalating interest from threat actors. CVE-2023-22527 is currently experiencing high visibility and active exploitation across the internet.

Observed exploitation attempts typically involve requests directed at URLs containing `/template/aui/text-inline.vm`.

## Timeline

- 2024-01-16: CVE Published. CVE-2023-22527 is published to NVD.
- 2024-01-24: CISA KEV. CVE-2023-22527 is added to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog by CISA.
- 2024-02-05: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2023-22527 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2024-02-14: CISA Remediation Deadline. Expiration of the CISA remediation deadline as described in [BOD 22-01](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-22-01-reducing-significant-risk-known-exploited-vulnerabilities).
- 2024-11-25: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2023-22527 for the first time.

## References

- https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFSERVER-93833
- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-22527.yaml
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/pwning-confluence-via-ognl-injection-for-fun-and-learning-cve-2023-22527

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2023-22527) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2023-22527. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.