CVE-2023-48590 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2023
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier are affected by a Cross-site Scripting (DOM-based XSS) vulnerability. If a low-privileged attacker is able to convince a victim to visit a URL referencing a vulnerable page, malicious JavaScript content may be executed within the context of the victim's browser.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2025
Adobe Experience Manager represents a comprehensive content management platform that serves as a cornerstone for enterprise digital experiences, handling sensitive data and user interactions across numerous web applications. The platform's architecture includes various administrative interfaces and content management functionalities that are critical to organizational operations. This particular vulnerability resides within the DOM-based cross-site scripting mechanism, which operates at the client-side execution level where user-supplied input is improperly processed and rendered without adequate sanitization. The vulnerability specifically affects versions 6.5.18 and earlier, indicating that the security flaw was present in the platform's core scripting engine and user interface components that handle dynamic content rendering.
The technical exploitation of this DOM-based XSS vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing crafted JavaScript payloads that are executed within the victim's browser context. Unlike traditional XSS vulnerabilities that target server-side parameters, DOM-based XSS operates by manipulating the Document Object Model directly through client-side scripts, making it particularly challenging to detect and prevent. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the platform's JavaScript execution environment, where user-provided data flows through the DOM without proper escaping or encoding mechanisms. When a victim visits the maliciously crafted URL, the browser executes the embedded JavaScript code within the legitimate application context, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions, or redirect users to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions within the Adobe Experience Manager platform. Low-privileged attackers can leverage this vulnerability to escalate their privileges or conduct phishing attacks against other users within the same organization, particularly targeting administrators who may have elevated access rights. The attack vector requires social engineering to convince victims to click on malicious links, but once executed, the vulnerability provides attackers with persistent access to the victim's browser session. This creates a significant risk for enterprise environments where multiple users interact with the platform, as compromised sessions can lead to data breaches, unauthorized content modifications, and potential system compromise. The vulnerability affects the platform's integrity and confidentiality properties, undermining the trust model that users place in the application's security controls.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.19 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the DOM-based XSS vulnerability. Network-based protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional layers of defense by monitoring for suspicious script patterns and blocking known malicious payloads. Input validation and output encoding should be enhanced across all user-facing interfaces to prevent malicious content from being executed within the browser context. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar issues within the platform's codebase and ensure proper security controls are in place. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script execution through web browsers, emphasizing the need for comprehensive browser security controls and user education programs to prevent successful exploitation attempts.