CVE-2025-46880 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 suffers from a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows low-privileged attackers to inject malicious javascript code into form fields within the application. This vulnerability exists in versions 6.5.22 and earlier, creating a persistent threat vector where malicious payloads can be stored and executed whenever victims interact with the compromised content. The flaw specifically affects form fields that do not properly sanitize user input, enabling attackers to craft scripts that execute in the context of authenticated users' browsers. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that once malicious code is injected, it remains active until manually removed, potentially affecting multiple users who access the compromised pages. This represents a significant security risk as it can lead to session hijacking, data exfiltration, and further exploitation of the victim's privileges within the AEM environment. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a common weakness in web applications where untrusted data is improperly handled and rendered in web pages. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including form submissions, comment sections, or any user-editable content fields that store data without proper input validation. The attack chain typically involves an attacker submitting malicious javascript code through a vulnerable form field, which is then stored in the application's database or content repository. When other users access the page containing the stored malicious content, their browsers execute the injected script, potentially leading to unauthorized actions performed on their behalf. This vulnerability can be leveraged to escalate privileges, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions within the application as the compromised user. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Organizations should immediately implement input validation and output encoding measures to prevent malicious scripts from being stored in the application. The recommended mitigations include updating to Adobe Experience Manager version 6.5.23 or later, which contains patches addressing this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper content sanitization, enforcing strict input validation, and utilizing web application firewalls can help prevent exploitation. Security teams should also conduct thorough code reviews to identify other potential injection points and ensure that all user-supplied content undergoes proper sanitization before being stored or rendered in the application interface. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against persistent threats in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a code injection technique under the T1566 threat group, highlighting its potential for initial access and privilege escalation. Organizations must prioritize patch management and input validation as fundamental security controls to protect against such vulnerabilities that can compromise user sessions and application integrity.