CVE-2024-26086 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 06/13/2024
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.20 and earlier are affected by a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. If an attacker is able to convince a victim to visit a URL referencing a vulnerable page, malicious JavaScript content may be executed within the context of the victim's browser.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2025
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.20 and earlier contain a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant security risk for organizations relying on this content management platform. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and specifically manifests as a reflected XSS flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into web applications. The vulnerability exists when the application fails to properly sanitize user input parameters before reflecting them back to the victim's browser without adequate output encoding or validation mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs that contain script payloads, which when clicked by unsuspecting users, execute within the context of the victim's authenticated session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation within the affected AEM environment. When a victim accesses a maliciously crafted URL, the reflected payload executes in their browser with the privileges of their authenticated session, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive content, modification of web pages, or redirection to malicious sites. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations using AEM for enterprise content management, as it can compromise the integrity of web applications and potentially lead to complete system compromise if attackers can leverage the reflected XSS to access administrative functions or sensitive data repositories. The vulnerability is classified as a medium to high severity risk according to industry standards and requires immediate attention from security teams.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability effectively, including input validation, output encoding, and proper content security policies. The recommended mitigation strategies involve updating to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.21 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Security teams should also implement web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, enforce strict content security policies to prevent script execution, and conduct regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in the application stack. Additionally, user education and awareness programs should be implemented to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that rely on phishing techniques to deliver malicious URLs to unsuspecting users. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing comprehensive security controls as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's web application exploitation techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning tools and regular penetration testing to identify and remediate similar reflected XSS vulnerabilities across their entire digital infrastructure.