CVE-2024-36158 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 digital experience platform that enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver personalized content across multiple channels. The platform serves as a critical component in enterprise digital strategies, handling sensitive user data through various form interactions and content management functionalities. This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability specifically targets the form processing mechanisms within AEM's user interface, creating a persistent security risk that can affect both administrators and end users who interact with the platform.
The technical flaw manifests in the insufficient sanitization of user input within form fields, particularly those used for content management and user-generated data. When users submit data through vulnerable forms, the system fails to properly validate or escape special characters that could be interpreted as executable JavaScript code. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that are then stored within the application's database or content repository. The vulnerability operates as a stored XSS because the malicious script is permanently saved and executed whenever the affected page is loaded, rather than requiring immediate user interaction with a crafted URL or link.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the AEM environment. An attacker could potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive user data, or manipulate content displayed to other users. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code remains active even after the initial injection, creating a long-term threat vector. This poses significant risks to organizations that rely on AEM for customer-facing applications, as victims may unknowingly execute malicious code when viewing pages containing compromised form data, potentially leading to session hijacking, data exfiltration, or further exploitation of the platform.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.21 or later, which includes patches addressing this specific vulnerability. Security teams should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all form fields and content management interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a significant risk under the ATT&CK framework's initial access and execution phases. Additional mitigations include implementing web application firewalls, conducting regular security assessments, and establishing robust content sanitization policies to prevent similar vulnerabilities in custom-developed applications built on the AEM platform.