Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2023-38693: Lucee RCE/XXE Vulnerability
Lucee Server (or simply Lucee) is a dynamic, Java based, tag and scripting language used for rapid web application development.
CVSS 9.8 Critical EPSS 0.8% · p57
Should you act?
Critical and remotely reachable
No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.8%, percentile 57: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.8% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 57% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
org.lucee:lucee(Maven) >= 5.3.10.79-RC, < 5.3.12.1, fixed in 5.3.12.1;org.lucee:lucee(Maven) >= 5.4.0.65-RC, < 5.4.3.2, fixed in 5.4.3.2;org.lucee:lucee(Maven) <= 5.3.7.59, no fixed version listed;org.lucee:lucee(Maven) >= 5.3.8.132-RC, < 5.3.8.236, fixed in 5.3.8.236. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
Lucee Server (or simply Lucee) is a dynamic, Java based, tag and scripting language used for rapid web application development. The Lucee REST endpoint is vulnerable to RCE via an XML XXE attack. This vulnerability is fixed in Lucee 5.4.3.2, 5.3.12.1, 5.3.7.59, 5.3.8.236, and 5.3.9.173.
From the GitHub advisory
Impact
The Lucee team received a responsible disclosure of a security vulnerability which affects all previous releases of Lucee.
After reviewing the report and confirming the vulnerability, the Lucee team then conducted a further security review and found additional vulnerabilities which have been addressed as part of this this security update.
Patches
Lucee 5.4.3.2 and 5.3.12.1 stable releases have been patched with additional hardening
Weakness type: CWE-611.
Product: org.lucee:lucee (Maven) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2025-03-05
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maven | org.lucee:lucee | >= 5.3.10.79-RC, < 5.3.12.1 | 5.3.12.1 |
| Maven | org.lucee:lucee | >= 5.4.0.65-RC, < 5.4.3.2 | 5.4.3.2 |
| Maven | org.lucee:lucee | <= 5.3.7.59 | none listed |
| Maven | org.lucee:lucee | >= 5.3.8.132-RC, < 5.3.8.236 | 5.3.8.236 |
| Maven | org.lucee:lucee | >= 5.3.9.113, < 5.3.9.173 | 5.3.9.173 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| lucee | Lucee | >= 5.4.0.0, < 5.4.3.2, >= 5.3.12.0, < 5.3.12.1, < 5.3.7.59, >= 5.3.8.0, < 5.3.8.236, >= 5.3.9.0, < 5.3.9.173 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_M | 3.1 | 9.8 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| GitHub | 3.1 | 10.0 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: none (no login)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: unchanged
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact partial.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.82% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 57.
Timeline
- — CVE record published by GitHub_M
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-vwjx-mmwm-pwrf published (critical)
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-vwjx-mmwm-pwrf github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2023-38693 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2023-38693 nvd.nist.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- github.com github.com