CVE-2025-46901 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.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/11/2025
Adobe Experience Manager represents a comprehensive content management platform that serves as a cornerstone for enterprise digital experiences, handling sensitive user data and content management operations across numerous organizations. The platform's architecture includes robust form handling mechanisms that process user inputs through various interfaces, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit input validation weaknesses. This particular vulnerability manifests within the form processing subsystem where user inputs are not properly sanitized before being stored and subsequently rendered back to users, creating a persistent XSS attack vector that can be leveraged by adversaries with minimal privileges.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the AEM form handling components. When users submit data through forms, the system stores this information without adequate filtering of potentially malicious script content, particularly within fields that are later rendered in web pages. This vulnerability specifically affects versions 6.5.22 and earlier, indicating that the flaw existed in the platform's core input processing logic where HTML entities are not properly escaped or filtered during the storage phase of form data. The issue falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, where the application fails to properly validate or encode user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the application environment. Low privilege attackers can exploit this weakness to inject malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data exfiltration, or further exploitation of the compromised user accounts. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that once malicious content is injected, it remains persistent and can affect any user who views the affected page, creating a significant risk for organizations that rely on AEM for customer-facing applications, internal portals, or employee collaboration platforms. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on establishing persistence through web shell or script injection methods.
Organizations utilizing affected AEM versions should prioritize immediate remediation through official Adobe patches and updates, as the vulnerability can be exploited by attackers with minimal privileges to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data and system resources. Security teams should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including client-side and server-side filtering, ensure proper HTML encoding of all user inputs before storage, and conduct thorough penetration testing to identify additional vulnerable form fields. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional defense-in-depth measures against potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust input validation practices as recommended by industry standards including OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines.