CVE-2022-35697 in Experience Manager Core Components
Summary
by MITRE • 08/11/2022
Adobe Experience Manager Core Components version 2.20.6 (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 a low author privilege access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2022
Adobe Experience Manager Core Components version 2.20.6 and earlier contains a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that poses significant security risks to organizations utilizing 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 through malicious input. The vulnerability exists in the way the application handles user input parameters, particularly in the query string or request parameters that are not properly sanitized or encoded before being rendered in the web response. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload is embedded in a URL that, when clicked by a victim, causes the browser to execute the script within the context of the victim's session. This particular vulnerability requires only low author privilege access to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by users with minimal administrative rights within the AEM environment. The attack vector typically involves an attacker crafting a malicious URL containing script code and sending it to a victim through social engineering techniques such as email phishing or instant messaging.
The operational impact of this reflected XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the victim's browser context. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of the victim, redirect users to malicious websites, or even escalate privileges within the AEM environment. The reflected nature means that the attack is delivered through a single request and does not require persistent storage of malicious content on the server. This vulnerability can be exploited to bypass security controls that might otherwise protect against persistent XSS attacks, as the malicious code is injected through legitimate application functionality rather than being stored within the application's database. The low privilege requirement significantly amplifies the risk since it can be exploited by users who have basic author permissions, potentially allowing attackers to gain access to sensitive content or manipulate content within the AEM system.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to protect against this reflected XSS vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager Core Components. The primary mitigation strategy involves upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager Core Components version 2.20.7 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms can prevent malicious scripts from being executed even if an attacker manages to inject them into the application. The principle of least privilege should be enforced to minimize the potential damage from compromised accounts, ensuring that users have only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their duties. Web Application Firewalls can provide additional protection by filtering suspicious requests and identifying potential XSS attack patterns. Regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the AEM environment. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves the use of malicious scripts to gain access to systems, and T1059 which covers the execution of malicious code through various attack vectors including web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be loaded, providing an additional barrier against reflected XSS attacks that may not be completely mitigated through traditional input sanitization methods.