CVE-2023-48601 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2023
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.18 and earlier are affected by a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (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 versions 6.5.18 and earlier contain a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant security risk for organizations relying on this content management platform. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as reflected XSS where malicious input is immediately reflected back to the user without proper sanitization or encoding. The flaw exists in the application's handling of user-supplied input parameters that are processed and returned to the browser without adequate validation mechanisms, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can inject arbitrary JavaScript code into web responses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it enables attackers to exploit low-privileged user sessions within the AEM environment. When a victim visits a maliciously crafted URL containing reflected XSS payloads, the JavaScript code executes within the victim's browser context, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious sites. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations using AEM for content management, digital asset management, and web publishing, where user interactions with the platform are common and session management is critical for maintaining security boundaries.
The attack vector requires social engineering to convince victims to click on malicious links, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users may not be security-aware. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that attackers can craft URLs that contain malicious scripts, which are then reflected back to the victim's browser when the page is loaded, bypassing many traditional security controls. This attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Phishing and T1531 for Account Access Removal, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to user accounts and sensitive content within the AEM system.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in URL query strings and form submissions. The recommended approach involves implementing proper HTML escaping and context-aware encoding for all dynamic content returned to users. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed, and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Regular security updates and patches should be applied immediately upon availability, with the vulnerability being classified as high-risk due to its potential for privilege escalation and session hijacking. The security controls should also include user education programs to reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that leverage this vulnerability.