CVE-2024-36155 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 creating, managing, and delivering digital content across multiple channels. Organizations rely heavily on AEM for their web presence, making it a critical component in their digital infrastructure. This vulnerability specifically targets the form handling functionality within AEM, which is essential for collecting user input through various web forms. The affected versions 6.5.20 and earlier contain a fundamental flaw in their input validation mechanisms that fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. This oversight creates a persistent security gap where malicious actors can inject malicious scripts that persist in the system's database and execute whenever the compromised data is displayed.
The technical implementation of this stored XSS vulnerability occurs within the form processing pipeline of Adobe Experience Manager. When users submit data through web forms, the system stores this information in its repository without adequate sanitization of potentially malicious content. The vulnerability manifests when the stored data is later retrieved and rendered in the browser context, particularly in form fields or content areas that display user-submitted information. This creates a classic persistent XSS attack vector where the malicious JavaScript code becomes part of the normal application behavior and executes in the victim's browser context. The flaw is particularly concerning because it allows attackers to inject scripts that can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or executing arbitrary code within the user's browser environment. The attack requires minimal privileges as it can be exploited through normal user interaction with forms, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the same content management system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the entire Adobe Experience Manager deployment. Organizations using affected versions face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and compromise of user sessions. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that the malicious code remains active until the vulnerable form fields are manually cleaned or the system is updated, creating an ongoing threat surface. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to systems, monitor user activities, and potentially escalate privileges within the application environment. The vulnerability also impacts the trust relationship between organizations and their users, as compromised systems can be used to distribute malware or phishing content. Security teams must conduct thorough assessments of all form-based functionality within their AEM deployments, as the vulnerability could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to administrative interfaces or sensitive content repositories. The impact is particularly severe in regulated industries where maintaining data integrity and user privacy is critical, as this vulnerability could lead to compliance violations and significant financial penalties.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves applying the official security patches released by Adobe for versions 6.5.20 and earlier, which contain the necessary fixes for the input validation flaws. System administrators should also implement additional protective measures including enhanced input sanitization, content security policies, and regular security scanning of form fields. The implementation of web application firewalls and security monitoring solutions can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their AEM installations to identify all potentially affected form fields and user input points. Security teams must also implement proper access controls and monitoring for form submissions to detect anomalous behavior. The mitigation approach should align with industry best practices and security frameworks, including the principles outlined in the CWE-79 category for Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing the ATT&CK framework's techniques for defending against XSS attacks, particularly focusing on the prevention of code injection and the protection of user input validation mechanisms. Regular security training for developers and administrators on secure coding practices and the importance of input validation is essential for maintaining long-term security posture.