CVE-2023-48449 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2023
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier are affected by a Cross-site Scripting (DOM-based 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 • 01/04/2024
Adobe Experience Manager presents a significant security weakness through CVE-2023-48449, which manifests as a DOM-based cross-site scripting vulnerability affecting versions 6.5.18 and earlier. This flaw resides in the application's handling of user-supplied input within the browser's Document Object Model, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject harmful JavaScript code that executes in the victim's browsing context. The vulnerability specifically exploits how the system processes URL parameters or other client-side input without proper sanitization or validation.
The technical nature of this DOM-based XSS vulnerability stems from the application's failure to adequately sanitize or encode user-provided data before incorporating it into dynamic content generation within the browser environment. When a victim navigates to a maliciously crafted URL containing crafted JavaScript payload, the vulnerable AEM instance processes this input through its DOM manipulation functions, allowing the malicious script to execute with the privileges of the logged-in user. This type of vulnerability operates entirely within the browser context rather than server-side processing, making it particularly insidious as it can bypass traditional server-side input validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform actions that are typically restricted to authenticated users. A low-privileged attacker can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions within the AEM application, access sensitive content, or even escalate privileges within the compromised user's session. The vulnerability's exploitation requires social engineering to convince victims to visit malicious URLs, but once triggered, it can lead to complete account compromise and potential data exfiltration. This represents a critical risk for organizations relying on AEM for content management and digital experience delivery.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided security patches for Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, network-based mitigations such as web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious URL patterns that may contain malicious JavaScript payloads. Security teams should also implement comprehensive monitoring for unusual user behavior patterns and unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 for social engineering and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage. Regular security awareness training for users and implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against this and similar DOM-based XSS threats.