CVE-2023-48559 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 represents a comprehensive content management platform widely deployed across enterprise environments for digital experience management. The platform serves as a central hub for creating, managing, and delivering digital content across multiple channels. This particular vulnerability exists within the form handling mechanisms of Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier, where input validation fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data submitted through web forms. The flaw manifests as a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that occurs when user input containing malicious javascript code is processed and stored within the application's database or content repository. When other users subsequently view pages containing these stored form fields, the injected scripts execute within their browser context, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling further attack vectors.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a low-privileged attacker to submit malicious input through accessible form fields within the AEM interface. This attack vector aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications. The vulnerability operates through a classic stored XSS pattern where malicious payloads are first stored by the application and then served to unsuspecting users during normal browsing operations. The attacker does not need elevated privileges to exploit this flaw, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with shared content management systems. The malicious javascript code can leverage the victim's authenticated session to perform actions such as modifying content, stealing session cookies, or redirecting users to malicious websites. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of the digital experience management platform by enabling unauthorized code execution within legitimate user sessions.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-48559 extends beyond simple script execution to encompass potential data breaches and service disruption within enterprise environments. Organizations utilizing Adobe Experience Manager for managing sensitive customer data, marketing campaigns, or internal communications face significant risk when this vulnerability remains unpatched. The stored nature of the XSS attack means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, the payload persists and affects all users who encounter the compromised content. This creates a persistent threat that can remain undetected for extended periods, potentially allowing attackers to harvest user credentials, manipulate published content, or establish persistent backdoors within the digital experience platform. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on user-generated content or collaborative editing features within AEM, as these scenarios increase the attack surface for exploitation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the latest security patches from Adobe as recommended in their security bulletins. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in web application security, principles that align with ATT&CK technique T1211 which covers exploitation of vulnerabilities for privilege escalation. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities can provide an additional layer of protection while patches are deployed. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected AEM installations within their environment and prioritize remediation based on risk exposure. Regular security monitoring of user-generated content and form submissions can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies and strict input sanitization measures to reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for maintaining up-to-date security controls and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against persistent threats targeting enterprise content management systems.