CVE-2018-19724 in Experience Manager Forms
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Experience Manager Forms versions 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4 have a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to sensitive information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2020
Adobe Experience Manager Forms versions 6.2, 6.3, and 6.4 contain a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant security risk for organizations relying on these platforms. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically manifesting as a stored XSS flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's data storage. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the forms processing functionality, where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being stored and subsequently rendered back to users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing script code within form fields or data elements that are later processed and displayed to other users. When legitimate users access these compromised forms or view the stored data, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists in the application's database or storage system, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 for Access Token Manipulation and T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS, as attackers can leverage the stored scripts to establish persistent access or exfiltrate data through encoded communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information within the Adobe Experience Manager environment. Organizations using these affected versions face potential exposure of confidential customer data, internal business information, and potentially administrative credentials if proper access controls are not in place. The vulnerability's impact is amplified in environments where AEM Forms are used for processing sensitive data such as customer applications, employee forms, or financial transactions. Attackers can leverage this flaw to monitor user activities, capture session tokens, or redirect users to phishing sites that appear legitimate within the trusted AEM environment. The stored nature of the vulnerability also means that even after the initial compromise, the malicious scripts continue to execute whenever affected content is rendered, potentially allowing for prolonged reconnaissance and data exfiltration activities.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Adobe Experience Manager Forms, applying the vendor-provided security patches, and implementing additional input validation controls. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect suspicious activities related to form submissions and data processing. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper output encoding mechanisms can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected software versions and ensure proper access controls are in place to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. Regular security testing and monitoring of form processing functionality should be maintained to detect any potential attempts to exploit this or similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to provide additional protection against cross-site scripting attacks targeting their AEM implementations.