CVE-2025-46878 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 represents a comprehensive digital experience platform that serves as a cornerstone for enterprise web content management and digital asset handling. The platform's widespread adoption across organizations makes it a prime target for cyber adversaries seeking to exploit vulnerabilities that could compromise large-scale digital ecosystems. This particular vulnerability exists within the form processing functionality of AEM versions 6.5.22 and earlier, where user input fields fail to properly sanitize or escape malicious content before storage and subsequent rendering. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that malicious payloads persist in the system's database rather than being immediately executed during input processing, allowing attackers to craft scripts that remain dormant until accessed by unsuspecting users.
The technical flaw manifests in the insufficient validation and sanitization of user-supplied data within form fields that are subsequently rendered to end-users. When a low-privileged attacker submits malicious JavaScript code through a vulnerable form field, the system accepts and stores this content without proper encoding or filtering mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically impacts the rendering pipeline where stored data is displayed to users, creating an execution environment where the injected scripts can operate with the privileges of the victim's browser session. The attack vector exploits the trust relationship between the application and its users, leveraging the legitimate functionality of form submission to deliver malicious payloads that can execute in the context of the victim's browsing session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration from authenticated users. A successful exploitation could allow an attacker to steal user sessions, access sensitive corporate data, or manipulate content within the AEM environment. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the impact can persist for extended periods, potentially affecting numerous users over time as they interact with compromised form fields. Organizations using AEM 6.5.22 and earlier versions face significant risk of unauthorized access and data compromise, particularly in environments where the platform handles sensitive customer information, employee data, or proprietary business content.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of Adobe's official patches and updates for AEM 6.5.22 and earlier versions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for the initial access phase of attacks involving malicious payloads. Organizations should implement additional defensive measures including web application firewalls, input validation controls, and regular security scanning of their AEM environments. Regular monitoring for suspicious form submissions and user behavior analytics can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing to ensure that the applied patches do not introduce compatibility issues with existing AEM functionalities and that proper input sanitization has been implemented across all form fields within the platform.