Threats / Atlassian / CVE-2023-22518
CVE-2023-22518
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-06-22
Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server vulnerability
Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server contain an improper authorization flaw allowing unauthenticated attackers to delete data without authentication, leading to significant availability impact.
Verdict
Today item, not a backlog item.
An unauthenticated attacker can exploit improper authorization controls in Confluence to perform destructive operations, resulting in data loss. The vulnerability has been actively exploited in ransomware campaigns.
CISA KEV Yes · 2023-11-073Ransomware use Flagged3EPSS 0.99999 (verify live)4Exploit Weaponized · public PoC5
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreExploit available
Fully weaponized — public exploit code is cataloged for this vulnerability.We link the existence of the exploit; we do not host or redistribute payloads.
Reported exploitation
841 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2023-11-07), flagged for known ransomware use.
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.99999 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Atlassian, Confluence Data Center and Server. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-863 Incorrect Authorization — weakness family: Authorization / access control.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I identify that Confluence instances lack proper authorization checks on destructive operations.
Business
Attackers gain ability to delete critical collaboration content without credentials, disrupting business continuity.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I send requests to delete pages, spaces, or attachments without providing authentication credentials.
Business
Significant data loss occurs across documentation repositories, wikis, and project spaces relied upon by the organization.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I leverage this access as part of a ransomware campaign to maximize damage and extortion pressure.
Business
Combined with encryption or exfiltration threats, data destruction amplifies ransom demands and recovery costs.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05
Coverage & confidence
— what we know, and what we don’tEstablished (cited)
Coverage gaps — stated, not hidden
Disclosure & credit2
Catalogued by atlassianCNA
Credited with finding it-unspecified