CVE-2024-52864 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 • 02/18/2025
Adobe Experience Manager represents a comprehensive content management platform widely deployed across enterprise environments for digital experience management. The platform serves as a central hub for creating, managing, and delivering digital content across multiple channels while providing robust security controls for user authentication and access management. Organizations rely heavily on AEM for their digital presence, making it a prime target for sophisticated cyber attacks that could compromise entire digital ecosystems. The vulnerability in question affects versions 6.5.21 and earlier, indicating a significant portion of deployed instances remain at risk due to outdated software implementations.
The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the form field processing mechanisms of Adobe Experience Manager, specifically allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into user input fields that are subsequently stored and rendered without proper sanitization. This flaw operates at the application layer where user-provided data flows through the system's input validation processes, bypassing critical security controls designed to prevent malicious code execution. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS issue because the malicious payload is permanently stored within the application's database or storage mechanisms rather than being executed through a single request. This characteristic makes the attack particularly dangerous as the malicious script executes every time a user views the affected content, creating persistent threat vectors that can compromise multiple users over extended periods.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, access sensitive data, or redirect victims to malicious websites. When users browse pages containing vulnerable form fields, their browsers execute the stored JavaScript code within the context of their authenticated sessions, creating opportunities for privilege escalation and data exfiltration. The vulnerability particularly affects user interaction points within the AEM interface where form submissions are processed, potentially compromising not only individual user sessions but also administrative functions that could lead to complete system compromise. Security teams face significant challenges in detecting and mitigating this threat as the malicious code remains dormant until specific user actions trigger its execution, making it difficult to identify during routine security assessments.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive patch management strategies to upgrade to Adobe Experience Manager versions that address this vulnerability, while simultaneously deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious input patterns. Input validation controls should be strengthened to sanitize all user-provided content before storage, with particular attention to form field processing and content rendering mechanisms. Security monitoring should include real-time detection of suspicious JavaScript patterns within stored content, while access controls should be reviewed to limit the scope of potential impact from compromised user accounts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against both known and emerging threats. This issue aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and reflects common attack patterns documented in the mitre att&ck framework under the web application attack techniques, emphasizing the need for comprehensive application security controls that address both client-side and server-side vulnerabilities.