CVE-2025-46942 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 critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant threat to web application security. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category for Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as a stored XSS flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into form fields within the AEM interface. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. Attackers with low privilege access can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious JavaScript code through vulnerable form fields, which then gets stored in the application's database or content repository. When other users navigate to pages containing these stored malicious payloads, the injected scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the victim's browser environment. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1531 for Establishing Persistence and T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code in user browsers.
The operational impact of this stored XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. A successful exploitation allows attackers to establish a foothold within the victim's browser session, potentially enabling them to access sensitive content, modify data, or redirect users to malicious sites. The low privilege requirement makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by users with minimal access rights, potentially escalating to higher privileges through subsequent attacks. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload remains active until manually removed, providing attackers with extended persistence opportunities. This weakness significantly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of the AEM application, as it allows unauthorized data manipulation and unauthorized access to content that should be protected. The vulnerability affects the core content management functionality of AEM, potentially compromising the entire content delivery pipeline and undermining the trust model of the application.
Organizations utilizing affected Adobe Experience Manager versions must implement immediate mitigations to protect their systems from exploitation. The primary remediation strategy involves upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.23 or later, which contain patches addressing this specific XSS vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious scripts from being stored or executed. Web Application Firewall rules can be configured to detect and block common XSS payload patterns, though this should not replace proper application-level fixes. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in the broader application ecosystem. Access controls should be reviewed and strengthened to limit user privileges, as the low privilege requirement for exploitation increases the attack surface. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual content submissions or patterns that may indicate XSS attempts. Organizations should also implement proper content sanitization processes and educate users about the risks of submitting untrusted content. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and the critical need for robust input validation mechanisms in web applications, as outlined in OWASP Top 10 security guidelines and the ISO/IEC 27001 information security management standards.