How severe is CVE-2023-22518?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2023-22518 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2023-22518?

Affected package information for CVE-2023-22518 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I fix CVE-2023-22518?

No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2023-22518 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.

How do I detect CVE-2023-22518 in my code and dependencies?

Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).

How do I mitigate CVE-2023-22518 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

Is CVE-2023-22518 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2023-22518 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2023-22518?

CVE-2023-22518 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 100.0%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2023-22518?

CVE-2023-22518 is classified as CWE-863 (CWE-863). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2023-22518?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2023-22518, meaning automated scanners can fingerprint it. Public exploit tooling significantly increases real-world risk — prioritize patching and ensure detection coverage. Exploit tooling should only ever be used in isolated, authorized testing environments.

When was CVE-2023-22518 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2023-22518 was published on October 31, 2023 and was last updated on October 21, 2025. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CVE-2023-22518: Atlassian Incorrect Authorization (KEV)

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

CISA’s SSVC triage classifies this CVE as under active exploitation.
CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-22518.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

100.0%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs100th percentile — riskier than 100% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

Description

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.

Affected Products

2 products · 10 configurations

Application

confluence data centeratlassian

≥ 8.5.0 && < 8.5.3

1 version

8.6.0

Application

confluence serveratlassian

≥ 8.5.0 && < 8.5.3

1 version

8.6.0

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vulnerability

Detect
Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).
Remediation status
No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2023-22518 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

How to detect CVE-2023-22518

A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:

nuclei -id cve-2023-22518 -u https://target

Template: Atlassian Confluence Server - Improper Authorization
Severity: critical
Impact: Unauthenticated attackers can exploit improper authorization to upload malicious backup files through the setup-restore endpoint, potentially resetting the database and gaining administrative access to Confluence Server data.
Remediation: Update Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server to a patched version that properly authorizes access to the setup-restore.action endpoint.

Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (iamnoooob, rootxharsh, pdresearch), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.

Frequently Asked Questions

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 doma

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CVE-2023-22518 — Atlassian