CVE-2023-48503 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2023
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier are affected by a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability that could be abused by a low-privileged attacker to inject malicious scripts into vulnerable form fields. Malicious JavaScript may be executed in a victim’s browser when they browse to the page containing the vulnerable field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2024
Adobe Experience Manager represents a comprehensive content management platform widely deployed across enterprise environments for digital experience management. The platform serves as a central hub for creating, managing, and delivering digital content across multiple channels while providing robust authoring capabilities for content creators and administrators. Given its critical role in enterprise digital infrastructure, vulnerabilities within AEM can have significant operational and security implications for organizations relying on its services.
The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within form processing mechanisms. This flaw specifically affects form fields where user input is stored and subsequently rendered without proper security measures to prevent malicious script injection. The vulnerability exists at the application layer where user-supplied data enters the system through form submissions and is later displayed to other users without appropriate sanitization or encoding mechanisms. Attackers exploiting this weakness can inject malicious javascript code into form fields that persist in the system and execute when other users view the affected content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with a persistent vector for various malicious activities. Low-privileged attackers who can submit data through forms gain the ability to compromise other users within the same AEM environment, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that malicious scripts remain active until manually removed from the system, providing attackers with extended periods of operational capability. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, representing a fundamental weakness in input validation and output encoding practices. The attack pattern follows typical XSS exploitation methodologies where the attacker crafts malicious input that gets stored and subsequently executed in victim browsers, creating a persistent threat vector.
Organizations utilizing Adobe Experience Manager should prioritize immediate remediation through official Adobe security patches and updates. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, principles that align with defense-in-depth strategies outlined in cybersecurity frameworks. Security teams should implement additional monitoring for unusual form submissions and user behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of web applications should include comprehensive XSS vulnerability scanning to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the digital infrastructure. The incident highlights the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security practices and vulnerability management processes to protect against persistent threats in enterprise content management systems. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies as additional protective measures to mitigate the risk of exploitation and ensure comprehensive security coverage across their digital platforms.