CVE-2025-46850 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 06/11/2025
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.22 and earlier are affected by a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability that could be abused by a low privileged 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 • 06/13/2025
Adobe Experience Manager presents a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in versions 6.5.22 and earlier, allowing low-privileged attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into form fields that persist in the application's database. This flaw resides in the content management system's handling of user input within form elements, where insufficient output encoding and validation mechanisms fail to properly sanitize malicious payloads before storage. The vulnerability specifically affects the rendering and storage processes of form fields, creating a persistent threat vector where injected scripts execute whenever victims view pages containing the compromised data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate sanitization of user-supplied content within the AEM content management framework. When users submit data through web forms, the system should properly encode and validate all input before storing it in the repository, but in affected versions this validation fails to adequately filter out malicious script content. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the injected JavaScript persists in the database and executes each time the page containing the vulnerable field is rendered, making it particularly dangerous for content editors and administrators who may encounter these payloads in their regular workflow.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges, steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to malicious domains. The low privilege requirement for exploitation means that even users with minimal access rights can potentially compromise the entire system through this vector. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that target administrator accounts, steal sensitive information, or establish persistent backdoors within the AEM environment. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as a critical security weakness in web applications.
The exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard ATT&CK tactics for web application attacks, specifically leveraging T1566.001 for initial access through malicious input and T1059.007 for command and control through JavaScript execution. Security professionals should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious content from being stored in the system. Organizations must ensure that all user-supplied content undergoes strict sanitization before being processed or stored, particularly in form fields and content management areas. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should focus on input validation mechanisms within content management systems to identify similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by adversaries.
Mitigation strategies include applying the latest security patches from Adobe, implementing strict input validation rules, configuring proper output encoding for all user-facing content, and establishing comprehensive monitoring for suspicious content submissions. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to detect and prevent malicious script injection attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and regular vulnerability assessments in content management systems, particularly those handling sensitive user data and administrative functions.