CVE-2023-48600 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, making it a critical component in enterprise digital infrastructure. When vulnerabilities exist within such foundational systems, the potential impact extends far beyond individual applications to encompass entire digital ecosystems. The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier demonstrates how seemingly contained flaws can create significant security risks within complex enterprise environments.
This vulnerability manifests as a stored XSS flaw that specifically targets form fields within the Adobe Experience Manager interface. The technical mechanism involves the platform's insufficient input validation and output encoding of user-supplied data within form elements. When low-privileged attackers submit malicious JavaScript payloads through form fields, these scripts are stored in the application's database or content repository and subsequently rendered without proper sanitization. The vulnerability stems from the platform's failure to adequately sanitize user inputs before storing them, creating a persistent vector for malicious code execution. According to CWE-79, this represents a classic stored XSS vulnerability where the malicious input is stored on the server and then executed when other users access the affected content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to encompass potential data breaches, session hijacking, and privilege escalation within the affected environment. An attacker could craft malicious scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or execute commands on behalf of authenticated users. The low-privileged nature of the attack vector means that even users with minimal permissions could potentially compromise the platform's security posture. This vulnerability particularly threatens organizations that rely heavily on user-generated content or collaborative workflows within Adobe Experience Manager, as the attack surface expands with each form field that accepts user input. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload remains persistent until manually removed, creating ongoing security risks for extended periods.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to address this vulnerability effectively. Immediate remediation involves applying Adobe's security patches and updates to bring affected systems to supported versions. Network segmentation and input validation controls should be strengthened to prevent malicious payloads from reaching the application's input processing layers. Browser security controls such as content security policies and XSS protection mechanisms should be enhanced to provide additional defense in depth. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments and T1071.001 for application layer protocols. Regular security assessments of form fields and user input handling mechanisms should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. Organizations must also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems that can detect and block suspicious input patterns. The incident underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities within enterprise content management systems.