CVE-2024-36149 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 represents a comprehensive content management platform widely deployed across enterprise environments for digital experience management. The platform serves as a central hub for content creation, management, and delivery across multiple channels. This particular vulnerability exists within the form handling mechanisms of AEM versions 6.5.20 and earlier, where input validation and output encoding controls have been insufficiently implemented. The stored XSS flaw manifests when user-submitted data containing malicious script code is persistently stored within the system's database and subsequently rendered without proper sanitization in subsequent page requests.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of form fields that accept user input, where attackers can inject malicious JavaScript payloads that remain stored within the application's backend. When legitimate users navigate to pages containing these vulnerable fields, the malicious scripts execute within their browser context, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling further attack vectors. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as a stored XSS variant where the malicious payload is permanently stored and executed during subsequent page views rather than being reflected in HTTP responses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, and potentially establish persistent access points within the target environment. Attackers may leverage this vulnerability to capture cookies, redirect users to malicious domains, or even inject additional malicious payloads that could escalate to full system compromise. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the attack remains effective even after the initial injection, making it particularly dangerous for long-term exploitation. Organizations utilizing AEM versions prior to 6.5.20 face significant risk exposure, especially in environments where multiple users interact with form-based content management features.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected AEM versions to the latest available releases containing the necessary security fixes. Additionally, organizations should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms, enforce strict output encoding for all user-supplied content, and deploy web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious script injection attempts. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all form-based components within their AEM environments and establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous script injection patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1531 Lateral Tool Transfer and T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, highlighting the potential for attackers to leverage this weakness for broader exploitation campaigns. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies and regular security training for content authors to reduce the risk of successful exploitation through social engineering or insider threats.