CVE-2023-48560 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 digital experience platform that enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver digital content across multiple channels. The platform serves as a central hub for content management, digital asset management, and customer experience orchestration. Given its widespread adoption across enterprise environments, vulnerabilities within AEM can pose significant risks to organizations relying on its functionality for digital operations. The platform's form handling capabilities, which allow content creators to build interactive web forms, represent a critical attack surface that requires robust security controls.
The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the form processing components. This flaw specifically affects form fields where user input is stored and subsequently rendered without proper sanitization. The vulnerability manifests when malicious JavaScript code is submitted through form fields and subsequently displayed to other users who view the page containing the vulnerable form data. The root cause lies in the platform's failure to properly escape or filter user-supplied content before it is persisted in the system and rendered in subsequent page views. This represents a classic stored XSS vulnerability where the malicious payload is stored server-side rather than being reflected in the HTTP request, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over time.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the AEM environment. Low-privileged attackers who can submit content through forms gain the ability to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the browsers of other users who access the affected pages. This capability enables various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious sites, and data exfiltration. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where AEM is used for customer-facing applications, internal collaboration platforms, and content management systems where users trust the displayed content. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal sensitive information from authenticated users, manipulate content, or establish persistent access to the platform.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability. Immediate remediation involves upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.19 or later, which contain patches addressing the stored XSS flaw. Organizations should also implement strict input validation policies that sanitize all user-supplied content before storage, particularly for form fields that may be rendered in web contexts. Output encoding mechanisms should be enforced to prevent malicious scripts from executing when content is displayed to users. Network segmentation and access controls should limit who can submit content through forms, reducing the attack surface. Additionally, implementing content security policies and regular security testing can help detect and prevent similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a fundamental security flaw, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves modifying existing programs to gain persistence and privilege escalation. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious form submissions to detect potential exploitation attempts.