CVE-2024-26032 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 03/18/2024
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.19 and earlier are affected by a DOM-based Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability that could be abused by an attacker to inject malicious scripts into vulnerable web pages. Malicious JavaScript may be executed in a victim’s browser when they browse to the page containing the vulnerable script. This could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the victim's browser. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2025
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.19 and earlier contain a dom-based cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security risk for organizations relying on this content management platform. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically manifesting as a DOM-based XSS flaw that occurs when the application processes user-supplied data within the document object model without proper sanitization. The vulnerability exists in how the platform handles input parameters that are subsequently reflected in the browser's DOM, creating an attack surface where malicious scripts can be injected and executed within the context of a victim's browser session. The flaw is particularly concerning because it requires only user interaction to exploit, meaning that an attacker could craft malicious links or pages that, when visited by an unsuspecting user, would automatically execute malicious code without requiring additional compromise steps.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Adobe Experience Manager framework. When user-provided parameters are processed and inserted into the DOM structure, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape these inputs before they are rendered in the browser environment. This creates a persistent risk where an attacker can manipulate URL parameters or other input vectors to inject malicious JavaScript payloads that execute in the victim's browser context. The attack vector typically involves constructing specially crafted URLs that contain malicious script code which, when processed by the vulnerable AEM application, gets executed in the victim's browser session. This execution context allows for full browser-based attacks including session hijacking, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the victim's browser environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform arbitrary code execution within the victim's browser context. This can lead to complete session compromise, where attackers gain access to sensitive user data, perform actions on behalf of the victim, or establish persistent access through techniques such as cookie theft and credential harvesting. The vulnerability's reliance on user interaction makes it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios where social engineering can be employed to convince victims to click on malicious links. Organizations using affected AEM versions face significant risk of data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive content, and potential compromise of entire user sessions. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that AEM is often used for enterprise content management, digital marketing platforms, and customer experience applications that may contain sensitive business data and user information.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.20 or later, which contains patches addressing this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms can provide defense-in-depth measures to reduce the risk of exploitation. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their AEM deployments to identify and remediate any potential exposure. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 for "Run-time Application Packing" and T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript", indicating that attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious JavaScript payloads and potentially escalate privileges through browser-based attacks. Network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies should also be deployed to detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Regular security monitoring and user education regarding suspicious links and web interactions remain critical components of a comprehensive security posture against this type of attack vector.