CVE-2018-4931 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.1 and earlier have an exploitable stored cross-site scripting vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to sensitive information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/07/2020
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.1 and earlier contain a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and represents a significant security risk for organizations relying on Adobe's content management platform. The flaw occurs when user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages, creating an opportunity for attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of the victim's browser. The vulnerability specifically affects the way AEM processes and stores user-generated content, particularly in areas where rich text editing capabilities are enabled. When legitimate users view pages containing maliciously crafted payloads, the injected scripts execute automatically, potentially compromising user sessions and accessing sensitive data. This stored XSS vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through various vectors including user comments, content fields, or administrative interfaces where input validation is insufficient. The security implications extend beyond simple script execution as successful exploitation could enable attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or extract sensitive information from authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the Adobe Experience Manager framework, creating a persistent threat that remains active until the malicious content is removed from the system. Organizations utilizing these older versions face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited by attackers with minimal technical expertise to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The impact of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which involves phishing and social engineering attacks that leverage web-based exploits to compromise user systems. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, it persists and affects all users who view the affected content, making it particularly dangerous for content management systems where multiple users interact with shared data. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the application's defense-in-depth strategy, as it bypasses traditional network-level security controls and operates directly within the user's browser environment. The exploitation of this vulnerability requires no special privileges or advanced technical knowledge, making it a preferred target for threat actors seeking to compromise user sessions and extract sensitive data from enterprise environments. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through patching or implementing compensating controls such as web application firewalls and enhanced input validation measures to protect against this persistent threat vector. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing comprehensive security testing procedures to identify and address similar weaknesses in web applications.