CVE-2024-26033 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2025
Adobe Experience Manager represents a comprehensive content management platform widely deployed across enterprise environments for digital experience management and web content publishing. The platform serves as a central hub for creating, managing, and delivering digital experiences across multiple channels and devices. Given its critical role in enterprise digital infrastructure, vulnerabilities within AEM can have substantial impact on organizational security postures and data integrity. The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in versions 6.5.19 and earlier specifically targets the platform's form handling mechanisms and content submission processes. This vulnerability exists within the application's input validation and output encoding controls, where user-supplied data is not adequately sanitized before being stored and subsequently rendered back to users. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious javascript code through form fields that persist in the system, making it particularly dangerous as the malicious payload can execute whenever any user accesses the affected content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of form input fields within the AEM interface, where attackers can craft malicious payloads that bypass the platform's security controls. The vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user input before storage and rendering, creating a persistent XSS vector that can affect multiple users who encounter the malicious content. When users browse to pages containing the vulnerable form fields, their browsers execute the injected javascript code within the context of their authenticated sessions. This creates a significant risk for privilege escalation attacks, as the malicious script can potentially access session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or exfiltrate sensitive data. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code persists in the system and can affect any user who accesses the compromised content, making it particularly dangerous for shared or public-facing applications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in application input handling and output rendering processes. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability can enable attackers to establish persistent access to compromised systems, conduct session hijacking, or redirect users to malicious sites, all while operating within the trusted context of the legitimate AEM application.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to encompass potential data breaches, privilege escalation, and service disruption within enterprise environments. Organizations relying on AEM for customer-facing applications, employee portals, or internal collaboration platforms face significant exposure when this vulnerability is present. Attackers can leverage the stored XSS to harvest session tokens, access sensitive administrative functions, or perform unauthorized modifications to content and system configurations. The vulnerability's potential for mass impact means that a single compromised form field can affect numerous users across different roles and access levels. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of broader attack patterns outlined in the attack technique framework, particularly those involving credential theft and privilege escalation through web application vulnerabilities. The exploitation of this vulnerability can facilitate more advanced attack chains where initial XSS access leads to further system compromise and lateral movement within the enterprise network. Organizations must implement immediate mitigations including patching to the latest AEM versions, implementing additional input validation controls, and monitoring for suspicious content submissions. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of comprehensive security testing for web applications, particularly those handling user-generated content and form submissions. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include verification of proper input sanitization and output encoding controls within content management systems to prevent similar issues from arising in the future.