CVE-2023-38693
RCE in Lucee REST endpoint
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.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
RCE in Lucee REST endpoint
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.
- Record
CVE-2023-38693- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-611
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-42476
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.
- Record
EUVD-2023-42476- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-vwjx-mmwm-pwrf
Lucee RCE/XXE Vulnerability
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
The older releases, 5.3.7.59., 5.3.8.236 and 5.3.9.173 have also been patched
Any users running older release, should plan to immediately upgrade to the latest stable release
6.0 will have a RC as it's not yet released
- Record
GHSA-vwjx-mmwm-pwrf- CVSS 3.1
- 10.0 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-611
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
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.
- Record
CVE-2023-38693- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-611
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
RCE in Lucee REST endpoint
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.
- Record
CVE-2023-38693- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-611
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-vwjx-mmwm-pwrf
Lucee RCE/XXE Vulnerability
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
The older releases, 5.3.7.59., 5.3.8.236 and 5.3.9.173 have also been patched
Any users running older release, should plan to immediately upgrade to the latest stable release
6.0 will have a RC as it's not yet released
- Record
GHSA-vwjx-mmwm-pwrf- CVSS 3.1
- 10.0 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-611
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
org.lucee:luceeMaven |
5.3.10.79-RC up to 5.3.12.1 | 5.3.12.1 |
org.lucee:luceeMaven |
5.4.0.65-RC up to 5.4.3.2 | 5.4.3.2 |
org.lucee:luceeMaven |
through 5.3.7.59 | None known |
org.lucee:luceeMaven |
5.3.8.132-RC up to 5.3.8.236 | 5.3.8.236 |
org.lucee:luceeMaven |
5.3.9.113 up to 5.3.9.173 | 5.3.9.173 |
org.lucee:luceeMaven |
5.3.10.79-RC up to 5.3.12.1, plus listed versions 5.3.10.1205.3.10.94-RC5.3.10.97 |
5.3.12.1 |
org.lucee:luceeMaven |
5.4.0.65-RC up to 5.4.3.2, plus listed versions 5.4.0.77-RC5.4.0.805.4.1.85.4.2.17 |
5.4.3.2 |
org.lucee:luceeMaven |
through 5.3.7.59, plus listed versions 5.0.0.120-BETA5.0.0.172-BETA5.0.0.174-BETA5.0.0.178-BETA5.0.0.213-BETA Show 45 moreShow less5.0.0.219-RC5.0.0.225.0.0.235-RC5.0.0.2525.0.0.2545.0.0.60-BETA5.0.0.62-BETA5.0.0.65-BETA5.0.0.98-BETA5.0.1.855.1.0.17-BETA5.1.0.315.1.0.31-BETA5.1.0.345.1.1.655.1.2.245.1.3.185.1.4.185.1.4.195.2.0.11-ALPHA5.2.1.75.2.1.85.2.1.95.2.2.68-RC5.2.2.70-RC5.2.2.715.2.2.71-RC5.2.3.30-RC5.2.3.31-RC5.2.3.32-RC5.2.3.33-RC5.2.3.34-RC5.2.3.355.2.3.35-RC5.2.4.35-RC5.2.4.36-RC5.2.4.375.2.4.37-RC5.2.5.205.2.5.20-RC5.2.6.595.2.6.59-RC5.2.6.605.2.7.61-RC5.2.7.62 |
None known |
org.lucee:luceeMaven |
5.3.8.132-RC up to 5.3.8.236, plus listed versions 5.3.8.139-RC5.3.8.167-RC5.3.8.1895.3.8.2015.3.8.2055.3.8.206 |
5.3.8.236 |
org.lucee:luceeMaven |
5.3.9.113 up to 5.3.9.173, plus listed versions 5.3.9.1335.3.9.1415.3.9.141-RC5.3.9.1605.3.9.166 |
5.3.9.173 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-38693 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Lucee, published March 5, 2025. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.82%, the 57th percentile. Fixed in org.lucee:lucee 5.3.12.1.
References
Left out here: 31 versions. The JSON record has them.