CVE-2023-48605 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 serves as a comprehensive content management platform that enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver digital experiences across multiple channels. The platform's architecture includes various administrative interfaces and content editing capabilities that are accessible through web-based user interfaces. When analyzing this vulnerability within the context of AEM's security posture, it becomes apparent that the system's handling of user input within DOM-based contexts creates a significant attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically manifests in how the platform processes certain URL parameters or input fields that are subsequently rendered within the browser's Document Object Model without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms.
The technical flaw in CVE-2023-48605 represents a classic DOM-based cross-site scripting vulnerability where malicious JavaScript code can be injected into the browser's execution context through manipulated URL parameters or input fields. This type of vulnerability differs from traditional reflected or stored XSS attacks as it operates entirely within the client-side DOM manipulation environment, making it particularly challenging to detect and prevent through conventional security measures. The vulnerability occurs when user-supplied data is directly incorporated into DOM operations without proper validation or sanitization, allowing an attacker to inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser context. According to CWE-79, this vulnerability maps directly to the Common Weakness Enumeration's definition of Cross-site Scripting, with the DOM-based variant specifically categorized under CWE-93, which addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in a DOM data flow.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the victim's browser session. A low-privileged attacker who successfully convinces a victim to visit a malicious URL can potentially access sensitive data, hijack sessions, perform actions on behalf of the victim, or even escalate privileges within the AEM environment. The attack vector relies on social engineering to trick users into visiting compromised URLs, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators or content editors regularly access external links. The vulnerability's presence in AEM versions 6.5.18 and earlier means that organizations with legacy systems remain at risk, as these older versions may not have received the necessary security patches to address the DOM-based XSS flaw. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers Scripting through the use of command-line interpreters, and potentially T1566.001 for the initial compromise through malicious links or URLs.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of Adobe's security patches for AEM versions 6.5.18 and earlier, as these updates specifically address the DOM-based XSS vulnerability. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious URL patterns or attempts to exploit this vulnerability, while implementing strict input validation and output encoding measures within the application's codebase. The security configuration should include the enforcement of Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the AEM ecosystem. Additionally, user education and awareness programs should be strengthened to reduce the success rate of social engineering attacks that leverage this vulnerability. The implementation of web application firewalls and security scanning tools can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should verify that the patching process has been correctly applied and that no residual vulnerabilities remain within the system.