CVE-2023-48523 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 content management system and digital marketing solution for enterprise organizations. The platform hosts numerous web applications and interactive forms that facilitate user engagement and data collection across various digital properties. This particular vulnerability exists within the form handling mechanisms of AEM versions 6.5.18 and earlier, where user input validation processes fail to properly sanitize data entered into form fields. The stored XSS flaw occurs when malicious scripts are submitted through form inputs and subsequently stored within the application's database or processing systems. When other users navigate to pages containing these compromised form fields, the malicious JavaScript code executes within their browser context, potentially compromising their session integrity and exposing sensitive information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a low-privileged attacker who can submit data through accessible form interfaces without requiring administrative privileges or elevated system access. This weakness falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically manifesting as a stored XSS variant where malicious payloads are persistently stored and later executed. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input sanitization and output encoding practices within the AEM application framework, particularly in how user-submitted data is processed and rendered back to users. Attackers can craft malicious JavaScript payloads that leverage the browser's trust in the application domain to execute unauthorized actions, potentially including session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code remains active until manually removed from the system, creating persistent attack vectors that can affect multiple users over extended periods.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with potential access to user sessions and sensitive data within the AEM environment. Organizations utilizing AEM for customer engagement, employee portals, or public-facing websites face significant risk when this vulnerability exists, as it can compromise the integrity of user interactions and potentially lead to unauthorized access to backend systems. The attack surface includes any form field within AEM that accepts user input, making the vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations with extensive digital presence and user interaction requirements. The vulnerability's persistence means that even after initial exploitation, the malicious scripts continue to execute whenever affected pages are accessed, creating ongoing security risks for organizations that fail to implement timely patches or mitigations.
Organizations should implement immediate remediation strategies including applying the latest security patches from Adobe that address the stored XSS vulnerability in AEM versions 6.5.18 and earlier. Security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of all AEM installations to identify potentially affected form fields and implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Additional mitigations include implementing content security policies that restrict script execution, enabling proper sanitization of user inputs before storage, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect anomalous form submissions. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on Establishing Persistence through Web Shell or Script Injection, and represents a critical risk for organizations following the principle of least privilege where unauthorized script execution can bypass normal security controls. Organizations must also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security scanning to detect similar vulnerabilities across their digital infrastructure.