CVE-2023-48553 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 suffers from a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows low-privileged attackers to inject malicious scripts into form fields within the application. This vulnerability resides in versions 6.5.18 and earlier, creating a persistent threat vector where injected scripts can execute in the context of victim browsers when they access pages containing the compromised form fields. The flaw represents a classic stored XSS attack pattern where malicious input is permanently stored on the server and subsequently served to other users without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the form processing components of the AEM platform, allowing attackers to bypass security controls that should prevent script execution in user-facing interfaces. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious JavaScript code through form fields, which then gets stored in the application's database or content repository. When other users view the page containing these vulnerable fields, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and it maps to ATT&CK technique T1531 which covers the use of malicious inputs to manipulate web applications. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access through session manipulation, data exfiltration, or privilege escalation within the application environment. The low-privileged nature of the attack means that even users with minimal permissions can potentially compromise the system's security posture, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where access controls may not be properly enforced. Organizations running affected AEM versions face significant risk of unauthorized access and data breaches, as the stored nature of the vulnerability means that attacks can persist long after initial exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the application's security architecture where input sanitization processes fail to properly validate and encode user-supplied content before rendering it in web interfaces.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires attackers to identify accessible form fields within the AEM interface and submit malicious payloads that can survive the application's input processing. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious scripts are not limited to a single request but can affect multiple users over time, creating a persistent threat that can be leveraged for extended attack campaigns. Security controls that should normally prevent script execution in user-facing content are bypassed due to insufficient validation of input parameters and inadequate encoding of output data. This weakness in the application's security model allows attackers to inject code that executes in the context of legitimate users, potentially enabling them to access sensitive data or perform unauthorized actions within the application. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that AEM is commonly used for content management and digital experience platforms, making it a valuable target for attackers seeking to compromise enterprise web applications. Organizations must understand that this vulnerability represents a failure in the application's defense-in-depth strategy, where multiple layers of security should have prevented the execution of malicious scripts in user-facing interfaces. The attack surface is broad since AEM applications often contain numerous form fields and user input points where this vulnerability could be exploited, making comprehensive patching and mitigation essential for protecting enterprise environments. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices, as these security controls are fundamental to preventing XSS attacks across web applications.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the latest security patches from Adobe, which address the root cause of this vulnerability by enhancing input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the AEM platform. Security teams must conduct comprehensive assessments of their AEM environments to identify all potentially vulnerable form fields and implement additional input sanitization controls beyond the default application protections. The implementation of web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional layers of defense against malicious script injection attempts, while regular monitoring of user input fields and application logs can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing strict access controls and privilege management to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, ensuring that even if an attacker can inject scripts, they cannot escalate privileges or access sensitive data. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security practices and regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors. Security awareness training for developers and administrators can help prevent similar issues by emphasizing proper input validation and output encoding techniques. Additionally, implementing automated security scanning tools and regular penetration testing can help identify potential XSS vulnerabilities before they can be exploited in production environments. The remediation process should include not only patching the specific vulnerability but also reviewing and strengthening the overall security architecture of AEM implementations to prevent similar issues from occurring in other components of the platform.