CVE-2023-48533 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 systems running versions 6.5.18 and earlier contain a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows low-privileged attackers to inject malicious javascript code into form fields. This vulnerability resides in the content management system's handling of user input within web forms, where the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-provided data before rendering it back to users. The flaw enables attackers with minimal privileges to craft malicious payloads that persist in the system's database and execute automatically when other users view the affected content. The vulnerability manifests when users browse to pages containing the compromised form fields, triggering the execution of injected scripts in their browsers. This stored XSS condition represents a significant security risk as it can be exploited to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The attack vector specifically targets the application's form processing mechanisms where user inputs are not adequately validated or escaped, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users over time. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a common weakness in web applications where untrusted data is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. From an operational perspective, this flaw enables attackers to escalate their privileges through session hijacking or perform phishing attacks against authenticated users. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as malicious scripts can manipulate the browser environment, access sensitive information, and potentially compromise entire user sessions. Organizations using Adobe Experience Manager should consider implementing input validation at multiple layers including client-side and server-side sanitization, along with proper output encoding to prevent script execution. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for scripting and T1531 for credential access, highlighting the potential for attackers to leverage the XSS payload for further exploitation. Security teams must prioritize patching this vulnerability immediately, as the stored nature of the flaw means that once exploited, the malicious code continues to affect users until the system is properly updated and the malicious content is removed from the database. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input sanitization and output encoding practices in preventing persistent security flaws that can compromise entire user bases over extended periods.