CVE-2022-35694 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 12/16/2022
Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.14 (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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2022
Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.14 and earlier versions contain a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security flaw in the web application framework. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which occurs when an application includes untrusted data in a web page without proper validation or encoding. The reflected XSS vulnerability specifically manifests when user input is immediately reflected back in the application response without adequate sanitization, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser context.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious URL that contains script payload in parameters or query strings that are then reflected back by the AEM application. When a victim clicks such a link, the malicious JavaScript code becomes part of the page content and executes within the victim's browser session, potentially compromising the user's credentials, session data, or allowing the attacker to perform actions on behalf of the victim. The vulnerability exists because the application fails to properly validate or encode user-supplied input before incorporating it into HTTP responses, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through simple web navigation.
The operational impact of this reflected XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, manipulate application data, or redirect users to malicious sites. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to bypass authentication mechanisms, access restricted content, or escalate privileges within the application environment. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected AEM versions, including administrators, making it a high-risk issue that could lead to complete system compromise. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where AEM is used for content management and digital experience delivery, as it can provide attackers with access to sensitive corporate data and user information.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper sanitization of all user-supplied data before it is processed or displayed. The recommended approach involves implementing Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution, using proper HTML encoding for all dynamic content, and ensuring that all user input is validated against whitelisted patterns. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and regular security testing can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1531 and T1566 techniques related to credential access and social engineering, while the exploitation aligns with T1203 and T1059 tactics for privilege escalation and command execution. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines, emphasizing that security controls must be implemented at multiple layers to protect against such persistent threats in web applications.