Cyber Resilience

CVE-2024-21672

RCE in Atlassian Confluence Data Center 7.19.0 – 7.19.18

Published
16 January 2024
Modified
17 June 2026
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.014 69th percentile
Risk Priority 72 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2024-21672 is a high-severity Code Injection (CWE-94) vulnerability in Atlassian Confluence Data Center. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 31% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2024-21672 is a high-severity remote code execution vulnerability in Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server, introduced in version 2.1.0. It carries a CVSS score of 8.3–8.8 and is classified under CWE-94, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code on affected instances through improper control of code generation.

An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit the flaw by sending a crafted request that triggers code execution, provided the victim interacts with a malicious link or resource. Successful exploitation grants high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability, enabling full compromise of the Confluence instance and exposure of connected assets.

Atlassian’s security bulletin directs customers to upgrade Confluence Data Center and Server to fixed releases including 7.19.18 or later in the 7.19.x line, 8.5.5 or later in the 8.5.x line, or 8.7.2 or later, with release notes and downloads available from the vendor’s sites.

The EPSS score has remained flat at 0.0718 with no material increase since disclosure, and no confirmed real-world exploitation activity is reported in the available data.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

This High severity Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability was introduced in version 2.1.0 of Confluence Data Center and Server. Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability, with a CVSS Score of 8.3 and a CVSS Vector of CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H allows an unauthenticated attacker…

more

to remotely expose assets in your environment susceptible to exploitation which has high impact to confidentiality, high impact to integrity, high impact to availability, and requires user interaction. Atlassian recommends that Confluence Data Center and Server customers upgrade to latest version, if you are unable to do so, upgrade your instance to one of the specified supported fixed versions: * Confluence Data Center and Server 7.19: Upgrade to a release 7.19.18, or any higher 7.19.x release * Confluence Data Center and Server 8.5: Upgrade to a release 8.5.5 or any higher 8.5.x release * Confluence Data Center and Server 8.7: Upgrade to a release 8.7.2 or any higher release See the release notes (https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/confluence-release-notes-327.html ). You can download the latest version of Confluence Data Center and Server from the download center (https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/download-archives).

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Execution
Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries.
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.002 AppleScript Execution
Adversaries may abuse AppleScript for execution.
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.005 Visual Basic Execution
Adversaries may abuse Visual Basic (VB) for execution.
T1059.006 Python Execution
Adversaries may abuse Python commands and scripts for execution.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-22526Same product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center
CVE-2024-21674Same product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center
CVE-2024-21673Same product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center
CVE-2024-21683Same product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center
CVE-2023-22527Same product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center
CVE-2023-22522Same product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center
CVE-2023-22515Same product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center
CVE-2023-22518Same product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center
CVE-2022-26134Same product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center
CVE-2024-21677Same product: Atlassian Confluence Data Center

Affected Assets

atlassian
confluence data center
7.19.0 — 7.19.18 · 8.5.0 — 8.5.5 · 8.7.0 — 8.7.2
atlassian
confluence server
7.19 — 7.19.18 · 8.5.0 — 8.5.5 · 8.7.0 — 8.7.2

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.3.1

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation finds code paths that accept and execute externally influenced strings.

Input validation directly stops untrusted data from being used to construct executable code without neutralization.

Least privilege limits the damage an injected code fragment can perform once executed.

Requiring documented secure development standards and tools enforces use of safe code-generation APIs and escaping.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

PR.PS-06's SDLC practices directly target injection flaws via secure coding and testing (mostly), yet as a single broad outcome it leaves many code-generation specifics unaddressed (partial).

PR.DS-10 none match
prevents

PR.DS-10 protects runtime data confidentiality/integrity but has no bearing on neutralizing externally influenced input during code generation, so neither direction shows any preventive effect.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

prevents

Banning unapproved code samples and unauthenticated web services, combined with secure-coding standards and SAST, prevents the dynamic generation or inclusion of attacker-supplied code.

none

Controls that restrict unauthorized or malicious code from being introduced via external networks or removable media limit opportunities for an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code.

References