CVE-2024-36189 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 manifests as a stored XSS flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into form fields within the AEM interface. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before it is rendered back to users in web pages. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious script payloads through vulnerable form fields, which are then stored in the application's database or storage mechanisms. When other users navigate to pages containing these stored malicious payloads, the injected JavaScript code executes in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the victim's browser environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a persistent vector for delivering malicious payloads to unsuspecting users. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, the payload remains active until explicitly removed by administrators, creating a long-term threat that can affect multiple users over extended periods. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves using malicious scripts to manipulate application behavior and compromise user sessions. The affected AEM versions demonstrate poor input sanitization practices where user-entered content is not adequately escaped or validated before being stored and subsequently rendered in web contexts. The vulnerability affects the core content management functionality of AEM, potentially compromising not only the integrity of user data but also the confidentiality and availability of the entire content management system. This issue is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where AEM is used for managing sensitive corporate content and user data.
Organizations utilizing affected Adobe Experience Manager versions should prioritize immediate remediation through official patches provided by Adobe, as the vulnerability represents a high-severity risk that could enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to user sessions and sensitive information. The recommended mitigation strategy involves applying the latest security updates from Adobe which typically include enhanced input validation, proper output encoding, and improved sanitization routines for user-supplied content. Additionally, implementing content security policies, regular input validation checks, and monitoring for suspicious content submissions can help reduce the risk of exploitation. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for known XSS attack patterns and suspicious script injection attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security practices and regularly updating enterprise content management systems to protect against known exploitation techniques. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their AEM implementations to identify potential additional attack vectors and ensure comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities that could compromise their web applications and user data integrity.