CVE-2023-48613 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 • 01/06/2024
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 widespread adoption in enterprise environments makes it an attractive target for cyber adversaries seeking to exploit vulnerabilities that could compromise user sessions and data integrity. This particular vulnerability resides within the form handling mechanisms of Adobe Experience Manager, specifically affecting versions 6.5.18 and earlier, which represent a significant portion of the installed base. The stored XSS vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor flaws in input validation can create substantial security risks when combined with the platform's widespread use across enterprise networks.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper sanitization of user input within form fields that are subsequently stored and rendered in web pages. When low-privileged attackers submit malicious JavaScript code through form fields, the system fails to adequately validate or escape the input before storing it in the database or content repository. This stored data is then later retrieved and displayed to other users without proper context-aware escaping, creating an ideal environment for cross-site scripting attacks. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no special privileges beyond basic user access to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by attackers who have minimal access to the system. The flaw aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications, and represents a classic case where inadequate input validation leads to persistent security weaknesses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the application. When victims browse to pages containing the stored malicious scripts, their browsers execute the injected JavaScript code within the context of their authenticated sessions, potentially allowing attackers to access confidential data, modify content, or perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. The persistence of this vulnerability through stored data means that even if the initial injection point is patched, the malicious scripts remain active until manually removed from the system. This characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly challenging to manage in production environments where content is frequently updated and user-generated content is common. The attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on "Modify System Image" and T1566 which covers "Phishing for Information", demonstrating how this vulnerability can be leveraged as part of broader attack campaigns.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious scripts from being stored or executed within the application. The recommended mitigation includes upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.19 or later, which contains patches addressing this specific vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should implement strict content filtering policies that sanitize all user-submitted data before storage and ensure that proper context-aware escaping is applied during data rendering. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of existing form fields and user-generated content to identify and remediate any instances where malicious scripts may already be present. Regular security testing and monitoring of user input validation mechanisms should be implemented to detect similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application stack. The mitigation strategy should also include user education about the risks of submitting untrusted content and implementation of web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script patterns in real-time.