CVE-2025-46941 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 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 manifesting as a stored XSS flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into form fields that persist in the application's database. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the form processing components of the AEM platform, creating an attack vector where malicious payloads can be stored and subsequently executed when legitimate users interact with the affected pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to potentially hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect victims to malicious websites. Low privileged attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting crafted payloads through form fields that are subsequently stored in the AEM database. When other users browse to pages containing these vulnerable form fields, their browsers execute the malicious JavaScript code within the context of their authenticated sessions, potentially leading to privilege escalation or data exfiltration. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where AEM is used for managing sensitive customer data, internal communications, or business-critical applications.
From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's T1531 technique for "Account Access Removal" and T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" by enabling persistent script injection that can be leveraged for various malicious activities. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious code remains active even after the initial injection, making it particularly difficult to detect and remediate. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability affects the core form handling functionality of AEM, which is commonly used for user registration, feedback forms, and content submission processes, thereby expanding the potential attack surface significantly.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches released by Adobe, implementing strict input validation for all form fields, and enabling proper output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of vulnerable form fields within their AEM implementations, establish monitoring for suspicious form submissions, and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block known malicious payloads. The remediation process should also include user education about the risks of submitting untrusted content and regular security testing to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions or custom implementations of the platform.