CVE-2024-26119 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 03/18/2024
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.19 and earlier are affected by an Improper Access Control vulnerability that could result in a Security feature bypass. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to bypass security measures and gain unauthorized access. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/03/2024
Adobe Experience Manager serves as a comprehensive content management platform that powers digital experiences for enterprises worldwide. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-26119 represents a critical weakness in the access control mechanisms that protect sensitive administrative functions and data within the AEM environment. This flaw resides in the platform's authentication and authorization systems, specifically affecting versions 6.5.19 and earlier, which collectively represent a significant portion of deployments across enterprise organizations. The vulnerability manifests as an improper access control condition that allows malicious actors to circumvent established security boundaries without requiring any form of user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where automated attacks can exploit this weakness immediately upon discovery.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of user permissions and session management within the AEM framework. When users attempt to access restricted administrative functions or sensitive data within the platform, the system should enforce strict access controls based on user roles and permissions. However, this vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the access control checks in such a way that they can bypass these protections entirely. The flaw likely exists in how the system validates authentication tokens, session identifiers, or role-based access controls during critical operations. This improper access control condition creates a pathway for attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to administrative interfaces, user data, or system configuration settings that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data breaches, system compromise, and business disruption. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain access to sensitive content, user credentials, system configurations, and administrative controls that could lead to complete system takeover. The lack of user interaction requirement means that automated attack scripts can immediately exploit this weakness, potentially allowing for rapid deployment of malicious activities including data exfiltration, system modification, or establishment of persistent access points. Organizations running affected AEM versions face the risk of unauthorized access to their digital assets, which could include confidential customer information, proprietary content, or intellectual property that could result in significant financial and reputational damage. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed versions means that the potential attack surface is extensive across enterprise environments that rely on AEM for their digital presence.
Security professionals should immediately prioritize the remediation of this vulnerability through official Adobe patches and updates. The affected versions 6.5.19 and earlier must be upgraded to patched versions that address the improper access control flaw. Organizations should conduct immediate vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement network monitoring to detect suspicious access patterns. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive access control reviews, session management audits, and enhanced monitoring of administrative activities. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to AEM systems and enforce strict firewall rules that restrict access to administrative interfaces. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 which specifically addresses improper access control, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion, as attackers can bypass security controls and potentially establish persistent access without detection. The vulnerability's severity classification as critical indicates that organizations should treat this as an immediate priority in their security operations, potentially triggering incident response procedures and security audits to ensure comprehensive protection against potential exploitation.