CVE-2023-29322 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 06/15/2023
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.16.0 (and earlier) is affected by a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. If a low-privileged 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 • 12/09/2025
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.16.0 and earlier contain a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant security risk for 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 input is immediately reflected back to the user without proper sanitization or encoding. The flaw occurs when the application fails to adequately validate and sanitize user-supplied input that is subsequently displayed in web responses, creating an avenue for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes within the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with the ability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the AEM environment. When a victim visits a maliciously crafted URL containing the XSS payload, the browser executes the injected JavaScript code within the legitimate AEM application context, allowing attackers to perform actions such as reading cookies, modifying page content, or redirecting users to malicious sites. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal user interaction beyond visiting a compromised link, making it an effective vector for social engineering attacks.
Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to exploit low-privileged users within organizations, potentially gaining access to sensitive content management capabilities or using the compromised session to perform unauthorized operations on the AEM platform. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload is not stored on the server but rather injected through the URL parameters or other user-supplied inputs, making detection more challenging for security monitoring systems. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links, and T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter through PowerShell or JavaScript execution.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.17.0 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers, enforcing strict input validation at all entry points, and conducting regular security assessments of web applications can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Network-based protections such as web application firewalls should also be configured to detect and block suspicious input patterns commonly associated with XSS attacks, while user education and awareness programs can help reduce the success rate of social engineering campaigns targeting this vulnerability.