CVE-2023-48558 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 • 09/20/2025
Adobe Experience Manager systems running versions 6.5.18 and earlier contain a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that fundamentally compromises user session integrity and browser security. This vulnerability resides within the form processing mechanisms of the platform, specifically in how the system handles user input validation and sanitization. The flaw allows attackers with minimal privileges to inject malicious javascript code directly into form fields that are subsequently stored and rendered back to users. When victims navigate to pages containing these compromised fields, their browsers execute the injected scripts within the context of their authenticated sessions. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input filtering and output encoding practices that fail to properly escape or validate user-supplied data before it is persisted in the system's database or content repository.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple script execution, creating a pathway for attackers to escalate privileges and conduct session hijacking attacks. According to CWE-79, this represents a classic stored cross-site scripting flaw where malicious input is stored and later executed without proper sanitization. The low-privileged attacker can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious domains. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves use of unauthorized commands to access sensitive data. The vulnerability's persistence through stored data means that even if administrators implement temporary patches, the malicious scripts remain active until the compromised form fields are manually cleaned or the system is properly updated.
Organizations utilizing Adobe Experience Manager must understand that this vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector within their digital ecosystems, particularly affecting content management workflows where user contributions are common. The vulnerability affects the core content rendering and form handling components of AEM, making it particularly dangerous for sites that rely heavily on user-generated content or collaborative editing features. Security teams should recognize that this flaw can be exploited across multiple attack surfaces including authoring interfaces, comment systems, and any form-based data entry points. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that attackers do not need to maintain continuous access to the system once they establish the initial injection point, as the malicious code persists until actively removed. Implementation of proper input validation, output encoding, and regular security assessments becomes critical to maintaining system integrity.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected AEM versions to 6.5.19 or later, which contain the necessary security fixes for this vulnerability. Organizations should also implement additional protective measures including comprehensive input validation at multiple layers, regular content auditing for malicious scripts, and enhanced monitoring of form submission activities. The security architecture should incorporate automatic sanitization of user inputs and implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution capabilities. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though they should not be considered substitutes for proper application-level fixes. Regular security training for content authors and administrators becomes essential to prevent social engineering attacks that might exploit this vulnerability through crafted user inputs. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust input sanitization practices across all web applications to prevent similar stored XSS scenarios.