CVE-2015-0955 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager 6.1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/09/2022
Adobe Experience Manager 6.1.0 contains a cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which represents one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The flaw exists in the way the application handles user input within its web interface, specifically in the processing of parameters that are directly reflected back to users without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious payloads that contain script code, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view affected pages. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core content management functionality of Adobe Experience Manager, which is widely used by enterprises for digital publishing and web content management.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the application's user interface components. When users interact with the AEM interface, particularly when editing content or navigating through administrative panels, the system fails to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied data before rendering it in HTML contexts. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code through parameters such as form fields, URL parameters, or other user-controllable inputs. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious script is reflected off the web server and executed in the victim's browser. The attack vector typically involves sending a specially crafted URL or form submission that contains the malicious script payload, which is then processed by the application and returned to the user's browser without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete session hijacking, data theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can establish persistent access to user sessions, potentially gaining administrative privileges within the AEM environment. This threat is particularly severe for organizations that rely on Adobe Experience Manager for managing sensitive content, as the vulnerability could enable attackers to modify or delete critical web content, access confidential documents, or even compromise the entire web application infrastructure. The vulnerability affects both authenticated and unauthenticated users, making it a significant risk for enterprise environments where AEM is used for public-facing websites and internal content management systems. Organizations using this version of AEM are particularly vulnerable because the flaw exists in the core functionality that handles user interactions and content rendering.
Organizations should immediately apply the security patches released by Adobe to remediate this vulnerability, as the company issued specific updates addressing the XSS flaw in Adobe Experience Manager 6.1.0. The mitigation strategy should include implementing comprehensive input validation mechanisms, proper output encoding for all user-supplied data, and regular security assessments of web applications. Security teams should also deploy web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, and implement content security policies to restrict script execution within the browser environment. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security training for administrators and developers to raise awareness about XSS vulnerabilities and proper coding practices. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding guidelines and maintaining up-to-date security patches, as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's web application exploitation techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing automated security scanning tools to identify similar vulnerabilities across their web applications and ensure that proper security controls are in place to prevent unauthorized script execution in user contexts.