CVE-2023-48461 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 suffers from a DOM-based cross-site scripting vulnerability that affects versions 6.5.18 and earlier, representing a critical security weakness in the content management platform. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the application's client-side processing mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to inject harmful JavaScript code through crafted URLs. The flaw exists in how the system handles user-supplied data within the document object model, creating an attack surface where malicious scripts can execute in the victim's browser context without proper security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of DOM elements through malicious input parameters that are not adequately sanitized before being processed by the browser. When a victim navigates to a specially crafted URL containing malicious JavaScript payloads, the application's DOM-based processing logic fails to properly escape or validate the input, allowing the script to execute within the victim's browser session. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a variant where the attack vector targets the DOM rather than traditional server-side parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities within the victim's browser session. Low-privileged attackers can leverage this weakness to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or extract sensitive information from the application. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed through social engineering techniques, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users interact with the AEM platform. The vulnerability essentially allows for persistent malicious code execution within the victim's browser context, potentially leading to complete compromise of user sessions and access to restricted content.
Security professionals should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies focusing on input validation, output encoding, and proper security headers. The primary remediation involves upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.19 or later, which contains patches addressing this specific DOM-based XSS vulnerability. Organizations should also implement strict content security policies, employ proper input sanitization techniques, and conduct regular security assessments of their AEM implementations. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious URL patterns can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and proper DOM manipulation validation as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework's web application attack patterns, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security measures beyond simple patch management.