CVE-2023-48516 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 adopted by enterprises for digital experience management and web publishing operations. The platform serves as a central hub for creating, managing, and delivering digital content across multiple channels while providing robust features for form handling and user interaction. This vulnerability impacts version 6.5.18 and earlier releases, which have been deployed across numerous organizations for managing web applications and digital experiences. The stored XSS flaw specifically targets form fields within the AEM interface, creating a persistent security risk that can affect multiple users who interact with compromised content. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can leverage the low privilege requirements to inject malicious scripts that persist in the system's database, making the attack vector particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where content is frequently edited and shared.
The technical exploitation of this stored XSS vulnerability occurs when malicious JavaScript code is submitted through vulnerable form fields and subsequently stored within the AEM database. When other users browse to pages containing these compromised fields, the malicious scripts execute within their browser context without requiring additional user interaction. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the form processing components of AEM. This flaw allows attackers to bypass standard security controls that would normally sanitize user input before rendering it on web pages. The persistence of the attack means that the malicious code remains active until manually removed from the system, potentially affecting all users who access the compromised content. The stored nature of the vulnerability makes it particularly challenging to detect and remediate since the malicious payload exists in the database rather than being transmitted through a single request.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to potentially compromise entire user sessions and access controls within the AEM environment. Attackers can leverage the executed JavaScript to perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or modifying content in ways that could affect business operations. The low privilege requirement for exploitation means that even users with minimal permissions could potentially compromise the system's integrity. This vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments where AEM serves as a critical component for managing sensitive customer data, marketing content, and business-critical web applications. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to confidential information, content tampering, and potential escalation of privileges if attackers can leverage additional vulnerabilities within the AEM ecosystem. The persistent nature of stored XSS makes it particularly dangerous in environments where content is frequently shared and accessed by multiple users.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the latest security patches released by Adobe to address this vulnerability. The patching process should be prioritized across all affected AEM instances, with particular attention to production environments that handle sensitive data. Input validation and output encoding should be strengthened throughout the AEM platform to prevent malicious script injection attempts. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual content submissions and potential exploitation attempts within form fields. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify additional vulnerabilities that could be exploited in conjunction with this XSS flaw. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The implementation of content security policies and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection against script injection attacks. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically addressing XSS vulnerabilities and ensure that security teams are trained to identify and respond to potential exploitation attempts in AEM environments.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The stored nature of the vulnerability corresponds to CWE-79's classification of persistent XSS attacks where malicious scripts are stored on the server and executed against multiple users. The low privilege attack vector demonstrates how attackers can leverage insufficient access controls to escalate their privileges within the application. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content and T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution. The persistence mechanism aligns with T1574.002 for hijacking execution flows through manipulation of application code. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader security posture assessment and ensure that their incident response capabilities include specific procedures for handling XSS attacks in content management systems. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle.