CVE-2023-48537 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 • 01/06/2024
Adobe Experience Manager represents a comprehensive digital experience platform that enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver digital content across multiple channels. The platform serves as a critical component in enterprise digital strategies, handling user-generated content through various form mechanisms and content management workflows. This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability specifically targets the form processing capabilities within AEM's content management interface, creating a persistent security risk that can affect both administrators and end users who interact with compromised content.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within AEM's form handling components. When low-privileged users submit content through forms, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before storing it in the content repository. This stored data is then later rendered in web pages without adequate security measures to prevent script execution. The vulnerability manifests when malicious JavaScript code is embedded within form fields and subsequently displayed in contexts where the code executes in the browser of unsuspecting users. This represents a classic stored XSS attack vector where the malicious payload persists in the application's database or storage layer rather than being executed immediately during input processing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. Low-privileged attackers who can submit content through AEM forms gain the ability to compromise other users who view the stored malicious content, potentially escalating their access rights within the system. The vulnerability particularly affects scenarios where users with different privilege levels interact with the same content, as the malicious scripts can execute in the context of any user who accesses the compromised form data. This creates a significant risk for organizations that rely on AEM for collaborative content management, where multiple users may be exposed to the same stored malicious content.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.19 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address this vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should review and enhance input validation rules for all form fields, implementing strict sanitization of user input and enforcing proper output encoding for all content displayed in web contexts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies and monitoring user activity for suspicious content submissions, as the stored nature of this vulnerability makes it particularly dangerous for long-term persistence within compromised systems.