CVE-2024-36194 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 serves as a comprehensive content management platform that enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver digital experiences across multiple channels. The platform's widespread adoption in enterprise environments makes it a prime target for cyber attackers seeking to exploit vulnerabilities that could compromise user sessions and access sensitive organizational data. This particular vulnerability resides within the form handling functionality of AEM's user interface, specifically affecting versions 6.5.20 and earlier, which represent a significant portion of deployed instances in production environments.
The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the form field processing mechanisms. When users submit data through web forms within the AEM interface, the system fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before storing it in the backend database or rendering it in subsequent page views. This flaw allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into form fields that are subsequently displayed to other users. The vulnerability manifests as a classic stored XSS attack vector where the malicious payload persists in the application's data store and executes whenever the affected page is accessed by a victim. The attack requires minimal privileges since it targets the user interface components that are accessible to regular authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the AEM environment. Attackers can leverage the executed JavaScript to steal authentication cookies, capture user credentials, or redirect victims to malicious websites that appear legitimate. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that the attack can affect multiple users over time without requiring repeated exploitation attempts. This vulnerability particularly threatens organizations that rely heavily on AEM for managing sensitive content and user interactions, as it can be used to compromise the integrity of the entire content management ecosystem. The attack vector is especially dangerous in environments where administrators frequently interact with form data, as it could provide attackers with elevated privileges and access to restricted administrative functions.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of Adobe's official security patches for AEM 6.5.20 and earlier versions, as these updates contain the necessary input validation and output encoding fixes. System administrators should implement additional defensive measures including web application firewalls that can detect and block known XSS patterns, regular security scanning of form inputs, and comprehensive monitoring for suspicious user activity. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a common attack pattern categorized under ATT&CK technique T1566.3 for credential access through malicious content. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies to limit the execution scope of injected scripts and conduct regular security awareness training to educate users about recognizing potentially malicious form submissions. The incident underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and the need for comprehensive input validation across all user-facing application components.