CVE-2024-20768 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 03/18/2024
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.19 and earlier are affected by a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability that could be abused by an 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.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2025
Adobe Experience Manager represents a comprehensive digital experience platform that enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver personalized content across multiple channels. The platform serves as a critical component in enterprise digital strategies, handling sensitive user data through various form interactions and content management functionalities. This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability specifically targets the form processing mechanisms within AEM's content management capabilities, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical flaw manifests in the insufficient sanitization of user input within form fields, allowing attackers to inject malicious javascript code that gets stored server-side and subsequently executed when legitimate users view the affected pages. This vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which classifies improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically targeting the storage and retrieval phases of user data. The flaw enables attackers to bypass standard client-side validation measures by exploiting the server-side processing logic that fails to adequately filter or escape user-provided content before rendering it back to users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with persistent access to victim sessions and potential data exfiltration capabilities. When users navigate to pages containing the stored malicious content, their browsers execute the injected javascript code, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This threat vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on establishing persistence through malicious scripts, and T1071.004 which covers application layer protocol usage for command and control communications.
Organizations utilizing AEM versions 6.5.19 or earlier face significant risk exposure given that the vulnerability affects core content management functionalities that typically handle sensitive user information. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, it remains active until manually removed, providing sustained access to compromised systems. Security teams must prioritize immediate remediation through patch updates from Adobe, while implementing additional protective measures such as enhanced input validation, content security policies, and regular security scanning of form-based interfaces to detect and prevent similar vulnerabilities in other components of their digital infrastructure.