CVE-2024-36159 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 versions 6.5.20 and earlier contain a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant threat to web application security. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and specifically affects the form handling mechanisms within the AEM platform. The flaw occurs when user input is not properly sanitized before being stored and subsequently rendered back to users, creating an environment where malicious scripts can persist and execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within AEM's form processing components. When administrators or content creators input data into form fields that are later displayed to other users, the system fails to adequately sanitize the data before storage. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code directly into form fields, which then gets executed whenever legitimate users view pages containing these vulnerable fields. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists even after the initial injection, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the victim's browser context. Attackers could potentially steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious sites, or even escalate privileges within the application. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where AEM is used for content management, as it could compromise sensitive corporate data and user information. Additionally, the persistent nature of stored XSS makes it difficult to detect and remediate, as the malicious code remains active until manually removed from the system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected AEM instances to version 6.5.21 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their AEM implementations, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before storage. The implementation of Content Security Policies (CSP) can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting script execution and reducing the impact of successful XSS attacks. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential injection points within AEM forms and content management workflows. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect suspicious input patterns and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 for "Account Access Removal" and T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" as it enables attackers to execute malicious JavaScript code in user browsers, potentially leading to further compromise of the affected systems and data.