CVE-2024-52829 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 12/11/2024
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.21 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 • 02/19/2025
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.21 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, specifically classified as a stored XSS flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts 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 rendering it in web pages. When users interact with the affected AEM system through form submissions or content management interfaces, the malicious JavaScript code injected by attackers persists in the application's database or storage mechanisms, making it vulnerable to execution whenever the compromised data is displayed to other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the AEM environment. Once exploited, the malicious code can perform various harmful activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the application. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the injected scripts remain active even after the initial injection point, allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to the system. This persistence mechanism significantly increases the attack surface and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations relying on AEM for content management and digital experience delivery. The vulnerability affects both administrators and regular users who interact with form fields, making it a widespread threat across the entire user base of affected systems.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the ATT&CK framework, particularly under the T1566.001 technique for initial access through web application attacks. The exploitability of this vulnerability can lead to subsequent compromise stages including credential access through session hijacking and privilege escalation. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms, proper output encoding, and content security policies to prevent such attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and proper sanitization of user inputs in web applications. Additionally, this vulnerability highlights the need for regular security assessments and patch management programs, as it represents a known weakness that can be exploited by threat actors without requiring advanced technical skills. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The affected AEM versions should be immediately updated to patched releases, and security teams should conduct thorough assessments of all user inputs and form handling mechanisms within their AEM implementations to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities.