CVE-2022-30682 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2022
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.13.0 (and earlier) is affected by a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. If an attacker is able to convince a victim to visit a URL referencing a vulnerable page, malicious JavaScript content may be executed within the context of the victim's browser. Exploitation of this issue requires low-privilege access to AEM.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2025
Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.13.0 and earlier contains a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that poses significant security risks to organizations relying on this content management platform. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as reflected XSS where malicious scripts are reflected from the web server back to the user's browser. The flaw exists in the way AEM handles input parameters within its web interface, creating an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious code that executes in the context of a victim's browsing session. The vulnerability requires only low-privilege access to AEM, making it particularly concerning as it can be exploited by users with minimal administrative rights or even regular content contributors who have access to the platform's web interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within AEM's parameter handling mechanisms. When users navigate to specific URLs that contain unvalidated user input, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the parameters before returning them to the browser. This allows attackers to craft malicious URLs containing JavaScript payloads that get executed when victims access these specially crafted links. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious script is not stored on the server but rather injected through the request parameters, making it difficult to detect through traditional security scanning methods. Attackers can leverage this weakness to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to malicious websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks within the AEM environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially access sensitive content, manipulate user sessions, or use the victim's privileges to perform administrative actions within the AEM platform. This creates a significant risk for organizations that store confidential information within their AEM instances, as the vulnerability can be used to escalate privileges or access restricted areas of the system. The low privilege requirement for exploitation means that even users with basic content editing rights could potentially leverage this vulnerability to compromise the entire platform. The reflected nature also makes this attack vector particularly stealthy, as it does not leave persistent traces on the server and can be easily disguised as legitimate user activity.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including updating to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.14.0 or later where the issue has been resolved. Additionally, administrators should review and implement proper input validation controls, ensure that all user-supplied parameters are properly encoded before being returned to browsers, and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links, and could potentially be leveraged for privilege escalation and persistence within the AEM environment. Regular security assessments and user access reviews should be conducted to minimize the attack surface and ensure that only authorized personnel have access to potentially vulnerable components of the AEM platform.