CVE-2024-36173 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 stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security risk for organizations relying on this content management platform. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and specifically affects the form handling functionality within the AEM interface. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into form fields that are subsequently stored and rendered in the application's user interface. When unsuspecting users navigate to pages containing these vulnerable form fields, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to unauthorized access to their sessions or data exfiltration. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists in the application's database and can affect multiple users over time, making it particularly dangerous compared to reflected XSS variants that require specific user interactions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the AEM environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform session hijacking, steal authentication tokens, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because AEM is commonly used for enterprise content management and digital experience platforms, where users often have elevated privileges and access to sensitive organizational data. The attack vector involves an authenticated user with sufficient permissions to create or modify form fields, which could include content editors or administrators. This creates a scenario where even relatively low-privilege attackers could potentially escalate their access through this vulnerability, especially if they can manipulate form fields that are later viewed by other users with higher privileges.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches released by Adobe to address this vulnerability. The patching process should be prioritized as a critical security measure, particularly for environments where AEM is used for managing sensitive content or user data. Additional defensive measures include implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent script injection attempts, configuring proper access controls to limit form field modification capabilities, and conducting regular security assessments of AEM implementations. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script payloads, as well as monitoring user activities for anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1531 for credential access and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage highlights the potential for attackers to establish persistent access and execute malicious commands within the compromised environment, making comprehensive remediation essential for maintaining overall security posture.