CVE-2023-48486 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. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the application's client-side processing mechanisms. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code through crafted URLs that, when visited by a victim, executes within the victim's browser context. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privileges to exploit and can be delivered through social engineering tactics.
The technical implementation of this DOM-based XSS vulnerability occurs when the application processes user-supplied input directly within the Document Object Model without proper sanitization or encoding. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that get executed when the victim navigates to the vulnerable page. The vulnerability exists because the application fails to properly escape or validate parameters passed through the URL, allowing malicious code to persist in the DOM and execute in the victim's browser session. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations using Adobe Experience Manager as it can lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, data theft, and potential lateral movement within the network. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject additional malicious code that could compromise the entire browser environment. The low privilege requirement makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by attackers with minimal access rights. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through scripting and T1566 for initial access through spearphishing.
Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patches and updates for Adobe Experience Manager to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's client-side code can help prevent similar issues. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious URL patterns and user behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify other potential DOM-based XSS vulnerabilities within the application ecosystem. Implementing a comprehensive web application firewall and content security policies can provide additional layers of protection against such attacks.