CVE-2024-36230 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 06/13/2024
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.20 and earlier are affected by a DOM-based Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of the victim's browser session. Exploitation of this issue typically requires user interaction, such as convincing a user to click on a specially crafted link or to submit a form that causes the execution of the malicious script.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2025
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.20 and earlier contain a DOM-based cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant security risk for organizations relying on this content management platform. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as DOM-based XSS where the malicious script is executed within the victim's browser environment rather than being reflected from the server. The flaw occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user input that is subsequently processed within the Document Object Model, creating an execution path where attacker-controlled data can be interpreted as executable JavaScript code.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft malicious payloads that can be injected into parameters or URLs that are then processed by the AEM application's client-side JavaScript code. Since this is a DOM-based XSS vulnerability, the malicious script does not need to be submitted to the server, but rather executed directly within the victim's browser context when they interact with the compromised page. Attackers typically leverage this by creating specially crafted links or forms that, when clicked or submitted, trigger the execution of malicious JavaScript within the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the victim's privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that compromise the entire user session and potentially the underlying infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform actions such as stealing user authentication tokens, modifying page content, redirecting users to malicious sites, or even conducting more advanced attacks like credential phishing or privilege escalation within the AEM environment. The requirement for user interaction makes this vulnerability somewhat less severe than server-side XSS issues, but still poses a significant risk as social engineering campaigns can effectively target users within an organization to gain access to their sessions and the privileges associated with their accounts.
Organizations should immediately implement multiple layers of defense to protect against exploitation of this vulnerability. The primary mitigation involves upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.21 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed within the browser context. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their AEM implementations to identify potential injection points and ensure that all user inputs are properly validated and sanitized before being processed by client-side JavaScript components. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against both known and emerging threats in content management systems. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1531 Access Token Manipulation and T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, highlighting its potential for session hijacking and client-side exploitation.