CVE-2024-26118 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 03/18/2024
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.19 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 • 04/15/2025
Adobe Experience Manager represents a comprehensive content management platform widely adopted by enterprises for digital experience management and web content delivery. The platform serves as a central hub for creating, managing, and publishing digital content across multiple channels while providing robust security features for enterprise environments. This particular vulnerability affects versions 6.5.19 and earlier, indicating a critical security flaw that has persisted across multiple releases of the software. The reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability specifically targets the platform's handling of user input within web requests, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject and execute unauthorized JavaScript code within victim browsers.
The technical flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied input that is subsequently reflected back to the user in the HTTP response. This occurs during the processing of web requests where parameters passed through URLs or form fields are directly incorporated into the page output without adequate security controls. The vulnerability exists in the server-side processing logic that handles user interactions within the AEM interface, particularly in areas that display user-provided data without proper sanitization mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs containing specially formatted JavaScript payloads that will execute when the victim's browser processes the reflected content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the application environment. When a victim visits a maliciously crafted URL, the reflected JavaScript code executes in the context of their authenticated session, potentially allowing unauthorized access to restricted content, modification of user data, or even complete account compromise. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected AEM versions, regardless of their role or access level, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where multiple users interact with the platform. This creates a significant risk for organizations that rely on AEM for sensitive content management, customer data handling, or business-critical digital experiences.
Organizations should immediately implement multiple layers of defense to protect against exploitation of this vulnerability. The primary mitigation involves applying the latest security patches released by Adobe to address the reflected XSS flaw in AEM versions 6.5.19 and earlier. Additionally, implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms can provide defense-in-depth protection against similar vulnerabilities. Web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious patterns in URL parameters that may indicate XSS attack attempts. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potential entry points within their AEM environments. Regular security monitoring and user education regarding suspicious URL handling can further reduce the risk of successful exploitation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a typical attack vector categorized under ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through spearphishing with a link, demonstrating how this vulnerability fits into broader threat landscapes and attack chains.