CVE-2023-48492 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 versions 6.5.18 and earlier contain a cross-site scripting vulnerability classified as DOM-based XSS that poses significant security risks to organizations relying on this content management platform. This vulnerability resides in the web application's handling of user-supplied input within the browser's Document Object Model, creating an attack surface where malicious scripts can be injected and executed without server-side processing involvement. The flaw specifically affects the way the application processes URLs and parameters within the client-side JavaScript environment, making it particularly dangerous as it operates entirely within the victim's browser context rather than through traditional server-side input validation mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper sanitization of user-controllable parameters within URL fragments or query strings that are subsequently processed by client-side JavaScript functions. When a victim navigates to a maliciously crafted URL containing XSS payloads, the application's JavaScript code fails to properly escape or validate these inputs before incorporating them into the DOM structure. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute with the privileges of the authenticated user, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the victim's browser environment. The vulnerability operates at the DOM level, meaning that the malicious code is executed directly within the browser's document object model rather than being stored or processed on the server, which makes detection and prevention more challenging.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the victim's browser session. Low-privileged attackers can leverage this vulnerability to escalate their privileges through session manipulation, steal sensitive cookies, or redirect users to malicious sites that appear legitimate. The attack requires social engineering to convince victims to visit specific URLs, but once executed successfully, the consequences can be severe for organizations using Adobe Experience Manager for content management, digital asset management, or web publishing. The vulnerability affects not only the end users but also administrators who might inadvertently visit malicious links, potentially compromising entire web applications and their associated data.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.19 or later, which contain patches addressing this specific XSS vulnerability. Security teams should implement comprehensive monitoring of web application traffic for suspicious URL patterns and parameter manipulation attempts, particularly focusing on query string parameters that might be processed by JavaScript functions. Network-based intrusion detection systems should be configured to identify and block known malicious payloads targeting this vulnerability, while web application firewalls should be deployed to filter potentially dangerous input parameters. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security awareness training for administrators and content creators to prevent social engineering attacks that might exploit this vulnerability, ensuring that users understand the risks of visiting untrusted URLs and the importance of verifying the legitimacy of links before clicking them. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a technique that falls under ATT&CK tactic TA0001 (Initial Access) and technique T1566 (Phishing) for the initial compromise phase of an attack.