CVE-2023-48520 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 digital experience platform that serves as a cornerstone for enterprise web content management and digital marketing operations. The platform's architecture includes sophisticated form handling mechanisms that process user inputs through various content management interfaces. This particular vulnerability exists within the form field processing subsystem where user-supplied data undergoes insufficient input validation and output encoding. The stored XSS flaw manifests when malicious scripts are persisted in form fields and subsequently rendered to unsuspecting users who view the affected pages. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can leverage the low privilege requirements to inject persistent malicious code that executes within the victim's browser context.
The technical exploitation of this stored XSS vulnerability follows established patterns within the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) framework, specifically mapping to CWE-79 which describes "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')". The vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user inputs within the AEM form processing pipeline, where submitted data flows directly into HTML output without proper encoding or validation mechanisms. This weakness creates a persistent threat vector that allows attackers to store malicious payloads within the application's database or content repository. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 6.5.18, indicating a long-standing issue within the platform's security architecture that has not been adequately addressed through previous patches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, representing a significant threat to enterprise security infrastructure. Low-privileged attackers who gain access to form submission capabilities can establish persistent backdoors within the application environment, potentially leading to complete system compromise. When victims browse to pages containing the maliciously injected scripts, their browsers execute the embedded JavaScript code, which could perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting to malicious sites, or establishing covert communication channels with attacker-controlled servers. This vulnerability undermines the trust model of the digital experience platform, as legitimate users cannot distinguish between authentic content and maliciously injected payloads. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code persists across multiple user sessions and browser refreshes, amplifying the potential damage and making detection more challenging.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including comprehensive input validation and output encoding across all form fields within AEM instances. The recommended approach involves deploying web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities and implementing strict content security policies to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts. Organizations must prioritize updating to patched versions of Adobe Experience Manager, as Adobe has released security updates addressing this vulnerability through their regular patch management cycles. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls and monitoring user activities within form submission interfaces can help detect and prevent unauthorized exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" and the T1566.001 technique for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment", highlighting the multi-stage attack patterns possible through such vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of AEM environments should include comprehensive XSS vulnerability scanning to identify similar weaknesses within the platform's extensive codebase.