CVE-2023-48472 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 represents a comprehensive web content management platform widely adopted by enterprises for digital experience management and web publishing operations. The platform serves as a central hub for creating, managing, and delivering digital content across multiple channels while providing robust security controls for enterprise environments. This particular vulnerability affects the core functionality of the platform's user interface components and administrative pathways that handle user input processing. The system's architecture includes multiple entry points where user-provided data is processed and rendered within the browser context, creating potential attack vectors for malicious actors seeking to exploit client-side security weaknesses.
The vulnerability manifests as a DOM-based cross-site scripting flaw within the Adobe Experience Manager interface, specifically in how the application processes and renders user-provided parameters within the document object model. This type of XSS vulnerability occurs when malicious JavaScript code is injected into the DOM through manipulated URL parameters or user input fields that are not properly sanitized or validated before being executed within the browser environment. The flaw exists in the client-side processing logic where the application directly incorporates user-controllable data into DOM operations without adequate security controls to prevent malicious script execution. According to CWE-79, this vulnerability maps directly to the classic cross-site scripting category where improper input handling leads to unauthorized script execution within the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of authenticated user sessions. Low-privileged attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious URLs that, when visited by victims with higher privileges, enable the execution of malicious payloads that can manipulate the application interface, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even escalate privileges within the application. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited through simple URL manipulation without requiring any special authentication or administrative privileges from the attacker's perspective. This makes the attack surface significantly broader as any user with access to the vulnerable application could potentially become a vector for exploitation, creating a chain reaction effect that could compromise entire user sessions and application functionality.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to protect against this vulnerability, including comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and the implementation of Content Security Policies to prevent unauthorized script execution. The platform's administrators must ensure that all user-provided data undergoes strict sanitization processes before being rendered within the browser context, with particular attention to URL parameters and form inputs that are processed through DOM operations. According to ATT&CK framework T1059.007, this vulnerability aligns with the execution techniques that leverage browser-based scripting to perform malicious activities, while also mapping to T1531 which addresses the manipulation of application execution flow through crafted inputs. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected versions, implement web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious URL patterns, and conduct thorough security assessments of all user interface components that handle external input. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive security monitoring solutions to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting client-side vulnerabilities in enterprise web applications.