CVE-2025-46899 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 content management platform widely deployed across enterprise environments for digital experience management. The platform serves as a central hub for creating, managing, and delivering digital content across multiple channels while providing robust workflow automation and user management capabilities. Organizations rely heavily on AEM for their digital presence, making it a critical component in enterprise security infrastructure. The vulnerability affects version 6.5.22 and earlier releases, indicating this flaw has been present for an extended period within the product lifecycle.
The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the form processing functionality of Adobe Experience Manager where user input is not properly sanitized before being stored and subsequently rendered back to users. This flaw specifically impacts form fields that accept user-generated content, creating a persistent XSS attack vector where malicious scripts can be injected and stored within the application's database or content repository. The vulnerability occurs because the platform fails to implement adequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms for user-submitted data that gets persisted in the system. This allows attackers to craft malicious JavaScript payloads that remain dormant until accessed by other users who view the affected content.
Low privileged attackers can exploit this vulnerability by submitting malicious scripts through form fields that are subsequently stored in the application's content management system. When other users browse to pages containing these stored scripts, the malicious code executes within their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The attack requires minimal privileges since the vulnerability exists in the form processing layer rather than requiring administrative access or elevated permissions. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by users with basic access rights to the application, potentially compromising the entire user base that interacts with the affected content. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists even after the initial injection, making it a long-term threat that can affect multiple users over time.
The security implications extend beyond simple script execution as this vulnerability can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks within the enterprise environment. Attackers can leverage the XSS payload to harvest user session cookies, redirect victims to phishing sites, or even inject additional malicious content that could compromise the entire application. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise settings where AEM is used for sensitive business operations, customer data management, and internal communication platforms. Organizations using AEM for digital marketing, customer portals, or employee collaboration systems face heightened risk of data exfiltration and unauthorized access. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly without requiring additional authentication or privilege escalation, making it a significant concern for security teams managing these critical applications.
Organizations should immediately implement input validation measures to sanitize all user-submitted content before storage, ensuring that malicious scripts are stripped or encoded before being persisted in the system. Output encoding should be implemented for all user-generated content displayed in web interfaces to prevent script execution even if malicious input manages to bypass initial validation. Regular security audits should be conducted to identify all form fields and content areas that may be vulnerable to similar injection attacks. Patch management processes must be prioritized to ensure timely deployment of vendor security updates, with particular attention to the specific version constraints of this vulnerability. Network monitoring and intrusion detection systems should be configured to detect anomalous script patterns in user submissions, while web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers to filter malicious content before it reaches the application backend. Security awareness training for developers and administrators should emphasize proper input validation and output encoding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future development cycles.