CVE-2023-48574 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 versions 6.5.18 and earlier contain a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows low-privileged attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into form fields. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and represents a significant security risk to organizations relying on AEM for content management and web application development. The flaw enables attackers to persistently embed malicious scripts that execute whenever victims view pages containing the compromised form fields, creating a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users over time.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the AEM form processing mechanisms. When users submit data through web forms within the AEM interface, the system fails to adequately sanitize or escape potentially malicious input before storing it in the database or rendering it in subsequent page displays. This stored data becomes vulnerable to XSS attacks because the application does not properly distinguish between legitimate content and malicious script code. Attackers can exploit this by submitting crafted payloads through form fields that contain JavaScript code, which then executes in the browser context of any user who views the affected content, creating a server-side persistence mechanism that amplifies the attack impact.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive cookies, redirect victims to malicious domains, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. This stored XSS vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where AEM is used for internal collaboration platforms, customer portals, or content management systems that handle sensitive data. The low privilege requirement means that even users with minimal access rights can potentially compromise the security of the entire system, making this vulnerability particularly attractive to attackers seeking to establish persistent access. The attack can be executed through various vectors including user registration forms, comment sections, or any form field that accepts user input and displays it without proper sanitization.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.19 or later, which contains patches addressing this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing robust input validation mechanisms, output encoding, and Content Security Policy headers can help reduce the attack surface. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of all form fields within AEM systems to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1531 Lateral Tool Transfer and T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, highlighting the potential for attackers to use this vector to establish persistent access and execute additional malicious activities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure proper implementation of security controls and to identify any additional vulnerabilities that may exist within the AEM environment.