CVE-2024-26050 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 • 04/15/2025
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 vulnerability exists in versions 6.5.19 and earlier, indicating that organizations using these legacy versions face heightened risk of exploitation through malicious script injection attacks.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper sanitization of user input within form fields, allowing attackers to store malicious JavaScript code that persists in the application's database or content repository. When authenticated users subsequently view pages containing these vulnerable fields, their browsers execute the stored scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload remains active until explicitly removed by administrators, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users over extended periods. This particular weakness aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where input data is not properly validated or sanitized before being rendered in web pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users within the AEM environment. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges, access restricted content, or manipulate user sessions through techniques such as cookie theft or session fixation. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that even users who do not immediately interact with the compromised forms may be affected when they later browse to pages containing the malicious content. This vulnerability particularly threatens organizations that rely heavily on user-generated content submission through AEM forms, as these interfaces become attack vectors for compromising the entire digital experience platform. The threat landscape is further complicated by the fact that AEM is commonly used in enterprise environments where sensitive business data and customer information are processed through these vulnerable form mechanisms.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through patch management procedures to upgrade to AEM versions that address this vulnerability, as recommended by Adobe's security advisories. Network segmentation and input validation controls can provide additional layers of protection while awaiting patch deployment, though these measures do not eliminate the underlying vulnerability. Security monitoring should focus on identifying any attempts to inject malicious content into AEM form fields, particularly through automated scanning tools that can detect unusual input patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security practices and regularly updating enterprise content management systems to protect against known attack vectors. Implementing comprehensive web application firewalls and content security policies can help mitigate exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments of AEM implementations should include thorough testing of form processing capabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing user education programs to raise awareness of potential social engineering attacks that might leverage this vulnerability to compromise user sessions. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for continuous security monitoring and the implementation of defense-in-depth strategies to protect enterprise digital platforms from persistent threats.