CVE-2024-36148 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 06/13/2024
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.20 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 • 03/23/2025
Adobe Experience Manager presents a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in versions 6.5.20 and earlier, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts into form fields that persist and execute when victims access the affected pages. This vulnerability resides in the content management system's handling of user input within form elements, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized actions. The flaw enables attackers to manipulate form data storage mechanisms, ensuring that malicious code remains embedded within the application's content repository until manually removed. The vulnerability's classification as stored XSS aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where malicious scripts are stored and later executed in victim browsers. This weakness permits attackers to perform session hijacking, deface websites, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the application environment. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks including credential theft and unauthorized administrative actions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of form field inputs within AEM's content management interface. When users submit forms containing malicious JavaScript payloads, the application fails to adequately sanitize or escape the input before storing it in the database or content repository. This failure creates a persistent threat where the injected scripts execute whenever any user views the page containing the compromised form field, regardless of whether they are authenticated or not. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical flaw in the application's input validation and output encoding mechanisms, specifically within the AEM forms processing pipeline. Attackers can leverage this weakness to create malicious payloads that execute in the context of the victim's browser, potentially accessing cookies, session tokens, and other sensitive data. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code remains active even after the initial attack vector is closed, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users over extended periods.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-36148 extends beyond immediate script execution to encompass potential data breaches, service disruption, and compromise of user trust within Adobe Experience Manager implementations. Organizations utilizing affected AEM versions face significant risk of unauthorized access to sensitive content, user authentication bypasses, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The vulnerability's persistence makes it particularly dangerous as it can remain undetected for extended periods while continuously affecting users who access compromised pages. This threat vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves creating or modifying system processes to maintain persistence and execute malicious code. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete compromise of the AEM instance, enabling attackers to modify content, create new user accounts, or access administrative functions. Organizations may experience reputational damage from successful attacks, potential regulatory compliance violations, and increased security operational overhead from monitoring and remediating the vulnerability.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Adobe, implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding controls, and conducting thorough vulnerability assessments of all AEM instances. The recommended remediation approach involves upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.21 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through enhanced input sanitization and proper output encoding mechanisms. Security teams should also implement web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities, establish robust content security policies, and conduct regular security testing of form handling components. Additionally, organizations should implement strict input validation procedures that filter or escape all user-supplied data before storage, particularly focusing on the AEM forms processing components. The mitigation strategy should include monitoring for suspicious content submissions, implementing automated scanning for stored XSS vulnerabilities, and establishing incident response procedures for rapid remediation of identified threats. These measures align with industry best practices for preventing cross-site scripting attacks and maintaining secure application environments as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.