CVE-2024-36169 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 capabilities. This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability specifically targets the form handling mechanisms within AEM's content management infrastructure, creating a persistent security risk that can affect numerous organizational systems.
The technical flaw manifests in the insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within AEM's form processing components. When users submit data through forms within the AEM interface, the platform fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters in the submitted content before storing it in the repository. This stored data is then later rendered back to users without adequate security measures, creating an ideal environment for XSS attacks. The vulnerability exists at the application layer where user-supplied content flows through the system's processing pipeline, with the flaw occurring specifically in how the platform handles form field data persistence and presentation. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that malicious scripts remain embedded in the system and can affect multiple users over time rather than requiring repeated exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities against authenticated users. An attacker could inject scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or manipulate content to compromise user trust and system integrity. The vulnerability affects both administrators and regular users who interact with the AEM platform, creating potential for privilege escalation attacks when administrators view compromised forms. Given that AEM systems often handle sensitive business data and user information, successful exploitation could lead to data breaches, unauthorized access to corporate resources, and potential compromise of entire digital ecosystems. The stored nature of the vulnerability also means that the impact can persist long after initial compromise, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where AEM systems serve as central content management hubs.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected AEM versions to address this vulnerability, as Adobe has released security updates specifically targeting this flaw. System administrators should implement additional security controls including input validation rules, content security policies, and regular security scanning of form fields. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through phishing. Additional mitigations include implementing web application firewalls, conducting regular security audits of form handling components, and establishing robust input sanitization processes. Organizations should also consider network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors and implement user education programs to recognize and report suspicious form interactions. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched systems to ensure that the XSS vulnerability is completely resolved without introducing new compatibility issues.