CVE-2023-48563 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. This platform serves as a central hub for creating, managing, and delivering digital content across multiple channels while providing robust authoring capabilities for content creators and administrators. The vulnerability under analysis affects versions 6.5.18 and earlier, which have been extensively utilized by organizations for their web publishing and digital marketing needs. These systems typically handle sensitive user data through various forms and input mechanisms while serving as critical components in enterprise digital infrastructure. The platform's architecture includes multiple layers of security controls and input validation mechanisms designed to protect against common web application vulnerabilities including cross-site scripting attacks.
The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the form field processing functionality of Adobe Experience Manager, specifically in how the system handles user input data. This flaw allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code into form fields that are subsequently stored within the application's database or content repository. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the content management system's form handling components. When legitimate users interact with these stored form fields, the malicious script executes within their browser context, potentially compromising their session and access privileges. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS flaw because the malicious payload persists in the system and affects multiple users who encounter the vulnerable content. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when applications fail to properly validate or sanitize user-provided data before storing it and rendering it in subsequent web pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with potential access to user sessions and sensitive data within the Adobe Experience Manager environment. Low-privileged attackers who can submit content through form fields can leverage this vulnerability to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized access to restricted areas of the system. The malicious JavaScript could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. Attackers might also use this vulnerability to establish persistent access to the system through beaconing mechanisms or to exfiltrate sensitive information from the platform. The vulnerability affects all users who interact with the vulnerable form fields, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where content creators and administrators regularly submit data through various input mechanisms. This could result in widespread compromise of the content management system and potential data breaches within enterprise environments.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigations to address this vulnerability across their Adobe Experience Manager deployments. The primary remediation involves upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.19 or later, which includes patches specifically addressing this stored XSS vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should implement strict input validation mechanisms and output encoding controls to prevent malicious script injection even if the primary vulnerability is not fully patched. Web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious script patterns in form submissions, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the platform. The mitigation strategy should also include user access controls and monitoring of content submission activities to detect anomalous behavior. Organizations should follow industry standards such as those defined by the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) and ATT&CK frameworks to properly categorize and address this vulnerability within their security posture. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a significant risk that requires immediate attention to prevent potential exploitation by threat actors. Regular security training for content managers and administrators is essential to prevent social engineering attacks that might exploit this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement proper logging and monitoring capabilities to detect unauthorized content submissions that could indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability.