CVE-2025-46904 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 digital experience platform that serves as a cornerstone for enterprise web content management and digital asset handling. The platform's architecture includes numerous form-based interfaces and content editing capabilities that allow users to input and manage various types of data. This particular vulnerability resides within the form processing mechanisms that handle user input, creating a persistent security weakness that can be exploited across multiple user interactions. The affected versions through 6.5.22 demonstrate a critical flaw in the platform's input sanitization and output encoding processes, where user-provided data is not adequately validated before being rendered back to other users.
The technical implementation of this stored XSS vulnerability occurs when malicious scripts are submitted through form fields that are subsequently stored in the platform's database or content repository. Unlike reflected XSS attacks that require specific user interaction with crafted links, this stored variant persists in the system and executes automatically whenever the compromised content is displayed to other users. The vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user input within form fields, particularly those that support rich text editing capabilities or dynamic content rendering. Attackers can exploit this by injecting malicious JavaScript code that gets stored alongside legitimate content, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods. The attack vector typically involves submitting malicious payloads through standard content creation forms, which are then processed and stored without proper security validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or manipulate content within the platform. Low privileged attackers can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to user data, compromise content integrity, and potentially escalate their privileges within the system. The persistent nature of stored XSS makes it particularly effective for long-term surveillance and data exfiltration campaigns, as the malicious code remains active until the compromised content is explicitly removed or the vulnerability is patched. Organizations using Adobe Experience Manager may experience unauthorized access to confidential customer data, content manipulation, and potential service disruption, with the attack surface expanding to include all users who interact with the compromised form fields.
Security mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected Adobe Experience Manager instances to version 6.5.23 or later, which includes the necessary input validation and output encoding improvements. Organizations must implement comprehensive input sanitization measures that filter and encode all user-provided data before storage, utilizing established libraries and frameworks that properly handle cross-site scripting threats. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, while regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify additional vulnerabilities within the platform. The implementation of content security policies and proper output encoding practices aligns with industry standards such as CWE-79 for cross-site scripting and supports ATT&CK techniques related to client-side exploitation and credential access. Additional defensive measures include regular monitoring of form submissions and content changes, implementing web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities, and conducting security awareness training for content editors to recognize and avoid potential attack vectors.