CVE-2023-48483 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-2023-48483, which manifests as a DOM-based cross-site scripting vulnerability affecting versions 6.5.18 and earlier. This vulnerability operates within the web application's client-side execution environment where malicious scripts can be injected into the document object model through manipulated URL parameters. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data that flows into the browser's DOM, creating an attack surface where crafted URLs can trigger unauthorized script execution. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privileges from the attacker who only needs to persuade a victim to click on a maliciously constructed link, making it a prevalent social engineering target.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a victim's browser processes a URL containing malicious JavaScript code within its parameters, which then gets interpreted and executed within the context of the victim's authenticated session. This DOM-based XSS variant differs from traditional reflected or stored XSS because it manipulates the page's DOM structure directly through client-side script execution rather than relying on server-side processing. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that Adobe Experience Manager serves as a comprehensive digital experience platform where users maintain elevated privileges and access sensitive corporate data. Attackers can leverage this weakness to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious sites that can further compromise their systems through additional attack vectors.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations using Adobe Experience Manager as their primary content management system, particularly those handling sensitive customer data or proprietary business information. The low privilege requirement for exploitation means that even casual attackers can potentially compromise user sessions, leading to unauthorized access to content management features, modification of web pages, or data exfiltration. The attack vector is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where administrators and content creators regularly interact with the platform, as successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of the digital experience management infrastructure. Organizations may experience reputational damage, regulatory compliance violations, and potential financial losses due to unauthorized access to their digital assets.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-48483 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Adobe Experience Manager installations to version 6.5.19 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures to prevent malicious data from entering the application's DOM, utilizing techniques such as content security policy headers and proper HTML encoding of user-supplied content. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and URL filtering mechanisms can provide additional defense-in-depth layers to detect and block malicious requests before they reach vulnerable endpoints. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the broader application ecosystem, while user education programs can help reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that exploit this vulnerability. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script-based execution within web browsers, emphasizing the need for comprehensive application security controls.