CVE-2024-36150 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 serves as a comprehensive content management platform that enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver digital experiences across multiple channels. The platform's widespread adoption in enterprise environments makes it a prime target for cyber adversaries seeking to exploit vulnerabilities that could compromise user sessions and data integrity. This particular vulnerability resides within the form handling mechanisms of the software, specifically affecting versions 6.5.20 and earlier, which represents a significant portion of the deployed user base.
The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the form field processing components of Adobe Experience Manager. When users submit data through forms that are subsequently stored and displayed within the application interface, the system fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before rendering it in the browser context. This flaw allows attackers to inject malicious javascript code directly into form fields, which then gets executed whenever legitimate users view the affected pages. The vulnerability is classified as stored XSS because the malicious payload persists in the application's database and affects multiple users over time rather than requiring immediate interaction with a specific page.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the application. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform session hijacking by injecting scripts that capture authentication tokens or cookies, thereby gaining unauthorized access to user accounts. The vulnerability also enables data exfiltration attacks where malicious scripts can collect sensitive user information and transmit it to external command and control servers. Additionally, the persistent nature of stored XSS allows attackers to maintain access to compromised systems over extended periods, facilitating long-term surveillance and data theft operations.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability effectively. The primary mitigation involves upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.21 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the input validation and output encoding deficiencies. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input sanitization measures and ensure proper output encoding for all user-supplied data before rendering it in web interfaces. Network-based security controls such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by detecting and blocking known malicious patterns in form submissions. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's broader attack surface, as this vulnerability may indicate broader security gaps in the platform's data handling processes.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to severe security implications. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for social engineering through malicious content and T1059 for command and control through script injection. The persistence of the stored nature makes it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged for continuous reconnaissance and data harvesting operations, while the session hijacking capabilities align with T1531 for credential access through session manipulation. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader security posture assessment to identify similar weaknesses in other web applications and systems within their infrastructure.