CVE-2025-46870 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 • 06/11/2025
Adobe Experience Manager represents a comprehensive digital experience platform that serves as a cornerstone for enterprise web content management and digital marketing solutions. The platform's widespread adoption across organizations makes it an attractive target for cyber adversaries seeking to exploit vulnerabilities that could compromise large user bases. This particular vulnerability exists within the form handling mechanisms of AEM versions 6.5.22 and earlier, where the system fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it back to the browser. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that malicious payloads are persistently saved within the application's database, making them particularly dangerous as they can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts.
The technical flaw manifests in the insufficient validation and sanitization of data entered into form fields within the AEM interface. When a low privileged attacker successfully injects malicious JavaScript code into these fields, the platform stores the payload without adequate filtering mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper output encoding or input validation controls that would prevent the execution of unauthorized scripts. This weakness allows attackers to bypass standard security measures that typically protect against XSS attacks by leveraging the platform's own data handling processes. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, where the application fails to validate or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. The attack vector requires minimal privileges, making it particularly concerning as it can be exploited by users with limited access rights who should not normally possess the ability to compromise other users' sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, creating significant risks for enterprise security postures. When victims browse to pages containing the stored malicious content, their browsers execute the injected JavaScript code, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that even if administrators patch the vulnerability, previously injected payloads continue to affect users until manually removed. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on "Modify Application Configuration" and T1203 which addresses "Exploitation for Client Execution" by enabling attackers to establish persistent access through legitimate application interfaces. Organizations using AEM may experience cascading security failures as compromised user sessions could provide attackers with access to additional enterprise resources, particularly if users have elevated privileges within the system.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to AEM versions that have addressed this vulnerability, as Adobe has likely released patches or updates to resolve the XSS flaw. Implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's form handling processes provides a more fundamental solution. Security teams should consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution capabilities, though this serves as a supplementary defense rather than a complete fix. Regular security scanning and penetration testing of AEM installations can help identify similar vulnerabilities in custom extensions or third-party components. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of privilege separation and least-privilege principles, ensuring that users with limited access rights cannot inject content that could compromise other users. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities can provide an additional layer of protection while awaiting full patch deployment.