CVE-2023-48541 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2023
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier are affected by a Cross-site Scripting (DOM-based XSS) vulnerability. If a low-privileged attacker is able to convince a victim to visit a URL referencing a vulnerable page, malicious JavaScript content may be executed within the context of the victim's browser.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2024
Adobe Experience Manager presents a significant security risk through CVE-2023-48541, a DOM-based cross-site scripting vulnerability affecting versions 6.5.18 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the application's client-side processing mechanisms, creating an attack surface where malicious scripts can be injected and executed without proper context awareness. The flaw specifically manifests when user-supplied parameters are directly incorporated into DOM operations without adequate sanitization, allowing attackers to manipulate the application's behavior through crafted input vectors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability enables attackers to craft malicious URLs that, when visited by authenticated users, trigger execution of arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser context. This DOM-based XSS variant is particularly dangerous because it operates entirely within the browser's document object model without requiring server-side processing, making detection and prevention more challenging. The vulnerability's exploitation pathway typically involves manipulation of URL parameters, form fields, or other client-side data sources that are subsequently processed by the application's JavaScript frameworks. According to CWE-79, this represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw where the application fails to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation within the affected application's context. Low-privileged attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive user data, manipulate application functionality, or establish persistent access points through the compromised browser sessions. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be delivered through social engineering campaigns targeting authenticated users, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where Adobe Experience Manager serves as a critical content management platform. This weakness directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Scripting, where adversaries use client-side scripting to compromise user sessions and execute malicious code within trusted application contexts.
Organizations utilizing affected Adobe Experience Manager versions should prioritize immediate remediation through official patches provided by Adobe, as the vulnerability creates persistent attack vectors that can be exploited by adversaries with minimal technical expertise. The recommended mitigations include implementing strict input validation controls, deploying Content Security Policy headers, and establishing proper sanitization routines for all user-supplied data before DOM manipulation occurs. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious URL patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify potential secondary impacts from this vulnerability, particularly in environments where Adobe Experience Manager integrates with other enterprise applications, as the compromised browser context could enable further lateral movement within the network infrastructure.