CVE-2025-46873 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 versions 6.5.22 and earlier contain a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant security risk for organizations relying on this platform for content management and digital experience delivery. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically manifesting as a stored XSS flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into form fields that are subsequently rendered to other users. The vulnerability exists within the content management system's handling of user input in form fields, where proper sanitization and validation mechanisms have been inadequately implemented or bypassed.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a low privileged attacker to submit malicious JavaScript code through form fields within the AEM interface, which are then stored in the system's database or content repository. When other users navigate to pages containing these vulnerable form fields, the malicious scripts execute within their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists and affects multiple users over time, unlike reflected XSS attacks that require specific user interaction with crafted URLs. The vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of user sessions and can be leveraged to escalate privileges within the AEM environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to the AEM platform through compromised user sessions. Attackers may exploit this vulnerability to steal administrator credentials, modify content, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive customer data managed through the AEM system. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where AEM serves as a central hub for digital marketing content, user registration forms, and customer interaction portals. Organizations using AEM for enterprise content management face potential data breaches, reputational damage, and compliance violations if this vulnerability is exploited successfully. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through Phishing, as attackers could craft malicious form submissions to target specific user groups within the organization.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Adobe, implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and conducting comprehensive security reviews of all form fields within the AEM environment. Network segmentation and monitoring of user interactions with AEM forms can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing Content Security Policies to limit script execution and regularly audit form field inputs for malicious content. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and the principle of least privilege in content management systems, as low privileged users should not be able to inject code that affects other users. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure rapid detection and remediation of similar vulnerabilities in their digital experience platforms.