CVE-2016-4170 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager 5.6.1, 6.0, 6.1, and 6.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/13/2022
Adobe Experience Manager represents a comprehensive content management platform that serves as a critical component in enterprise digital experiences. The platform's architecture includes multiple modules for content creation, delivery, and user interaction management. This particular vulnerability affects versions 5.6.1 through 6.2, indicating a widespread exposure across multiple release lines of the software. The vulnerability manifests as a cross-site scripting flaw that operates at the web application level, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity. The unspecified vectors suggest that the attack surface encompasses various input points within the application's user interface and content processing mechanisms.
The technical flaw in CVE-2016-4170 stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the Adobe Experience Manager framework. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious scripts through various entry points including form fields, URL parameters, or content management interfaces. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or authentication credentials to execute attacks, making it particularly dangerous in publicly accessible environments. The attack vector likely involves manipulation of content or parameters that are subsequently rendered without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or manipulate content within the AEM environment. Successful exploitation could allow adversaries to execute malicious code in the context of authenticated users, leading to privilege escalation or unauthorized access to administrative functions. The vulnerability affects the platform's content management capabilities, potentially compromising the integrity of digital assets and user-generated content. Organizations relying on AEM for customer-facing applications face significant risk of reputational damage and regulatory compliance violations. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions suggests that organizations may have been exposed for extended periods without detection.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-4170 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Adobe Experience Manager installations to version 6.3 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement robust input validation mechanisms and output encoding across all user-facing interfaces to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in custom applications built on the platform. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth layers to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should focus on unusual user behavior patterns and unauthorized content modifications. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of AEM environments can help identify potential attack vectors and ensure proper implementation of security controls. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script injection, and T1566 for spearphishing with a link, highlighting the need for comprehensive endpoint protection and user education programs.