CVE-2023-48475 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 serves as a comprehensive content management platform that enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver digital experiences across multiple channels. The platform's architecture includes various administrative interfaces and user-facing components that process user input through URL parameters and web forms. This particular vulnerability exists within the platform's handling of user-supplied data in URL parameters that are processed within the browser's Document Object Model. The DOM-based XSS flaw specifically manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-controllable input that gets reflected or executed within the browser context. This vulnerability affects versions 6.5.18 and earlier, indicating a widespread issue across the platform's long-term support release cycle. The flaw represents a critical security gap that allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code through manipulated URL parameters, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable more sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The attack vector requires a low-privileged attacker to successfully trick a victim into visiting a specially crafted URL, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users may encounter untrusted links. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. The DOM-based nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious script executes on the victim's browser without being sent to the server, making traditional server-side input validation ineffective. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive user data, manipulation of application functionality, and potential privilege escalation within the AEM environment. Organizations utilizing these older versions face significant risk as the vulnerability can be leveraged to bypass authentication mechanisms and access restricted administrative features. The attack scenario typically involves phishing campaigns where victims are directed to malicious URLs that contain encoded JavaScript payloads designed to exploit this specific DOM-based vulnerability. Security researchers have identified that the flaw occurs when user input is directly incorporated into DOM manipulation functions without proper sanitization, creating an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute within the victim's browser context. The implications of this vulnerability extend to the platform's user trust model, as legitimate users may unknowingly execute malicious code when navigating to compromised pages. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation efforts, including upgrading to supported versions of Adobe Experience Manager that contain patches for this vulnerability. The remediation process should also include comprehensive security testing of all user-facing interfaces and URL parameter handling mechanisms to identify potential similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing proper input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar DOM-based XSS attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing robust security controls in enterprise content management systems.