CVE-2025-46885 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 stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant security risk for organizations relying on this content management platform. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as a stored XSS flaw where malicious payloads are permanently stored on the server and executed when victims access affected pages. The vulnerability exists within the form processing functionality of AEM, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into form fields that are subsequently rendered to other users. This particular weakness enables low privilege attackers to exploit the system without requiring elevated permissions, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with shared content management interfaces.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker submits malicious script content through form fields that are not properly sanitized or validated before storage. When legitimate users subsequently view pages containing these stored payloads, their browsers execute the injected JavaScript code within their browser context. This execution model creates a persistent threat vector where the malicious script can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or performing unauthorized operations on behalf of the victim. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the attack persists until the malicious content is removed from the system, unlike reflected XSS which requires user interaction with a crafted link.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable more sophisticated attack chains within the AEM environment. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges, access restricted content, or establish persistent backdoors within the content management system. The low privilege requirement makes this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors who may not have direct access to high-privilege accounts but can still compromise the system through user-facing interfaces. Organizations using AEM for sensitive content management or customer-facing applications face significant risk of data theft, service disruption, and reputational damage from successful exploitation of this flaw.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability through Adobe's official patches and updates for AEM 6.5.22 and earlier versions. Organizations should implement additional defensive measures including comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and content security policies to mitigate the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments and T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter for JavaScript execution. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious script injection patterns, and regular security assessments should verify that all form inputs are properly sanitized. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and strict access controls for form submission endpoints can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts.