CVE-2023-48546 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 personalized content across multiple channels. The platform serves as a critical component in enterprise digital strategies, handling sensitive user data through various form submissions and content management functionalities. When examining CVE-2023-48546, this vulnerability specifically targets the input validation mechanisms within form processing capabilities, creating a pathway for malicious actors to persistently inject harmful scripts. The vulnerability manifests as a stored cross-site scripting flaw that operates at the application layer, allowing attackers to inject malicious code that remains persistent within the system's database or storage mechanisms.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user inputs within form fields that are subsequently rendered back to users. Attackers with low-privileged access can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious JavaScript payloads through form submission interfaces. These payloads are then stored within the application's backend systems and executed whenever legitimate users view the affected content. The vulnerability specifically affects Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier, indicating that the input validation logic was not adequately implemented or updated in these releases. This flaw directly corresponds to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities as the injection of malicious scripts into web applications, and the weakness is particularly concerning given that it operates as a stored XSS variant where the malicious code persists beyond the initial injection point.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it creates opportunities for attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to malicious domains. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to manipulate content displayed to end users, potentially compromising the integrity of the entire digital experience platform. The low-privileged nature of the attack vector means that even users with minimal access rights can potentially compromise the system's security posture, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple user roles exist. This weakness can enable attackers to escalate their privileges through session manipulation or to conduct more sophisticated attacks such as phishing campaigns or data exfiltration.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including comprehensive input validation and output encoding for all form fields within Adobe Experience Manager installations. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager 6.5.19 or later versions, which contain the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Security teams should also implement web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities and conduct thorough input sanitization procedures. Additionally, organizations should review their user access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel have the ability to submit content through forms that may be vulnerable to this type of attack. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which addresses social engineering through malicious content delivery, and emphasizes the importance of validating user inputs at multiple layers of the application stack to prevent persistent script injection attacks that could compromise the entire digital ecosystem.