CVE-2025-46945 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 suffers from a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that fundamentally compromises user browser security through manipulated form fields. This vulnerability affects versions 6.5.22 and earlier, representing a significant risk to organizations relying on AEM for content management and user interaction. The flaw occurs when user input is not properly sanitized before being stored and subsequently rendered back to users, creating an environment where malicious scripts can persist and execute automatically. Attackers with low privilege access can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious JavaScript code into form fields that are later displayed to other users, effectively establishing a persistent attack vector that operates without user interaction beyond viewing the compromised content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. This classification indicates that the vulnerability exists due to insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the AEM platform's form processing and rendering components. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that malicious payloads are permanently embedded in the application's database or storage system, making them particularly dangerous as they can affect multiple users over extended periods. Unlike reflected XSS attacks that require specific user interaction, stored XSS allows attackers to deliver malicious code that executes automatically whenever victims access the compromised content, creating a persistent threat vector.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious websites. When victims browse to pages containing the compromised form fields, their browsers execute the injected JavaScript code, potentially allowing attackers to access sensitive cookies, local storage, and session information. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations using AEM for user-facing applications, member portals, or any system where user-generated content is processed and displayed. The low privilege requirement for exploitation makes this vulnerability especially concerning as it can be leveraged by attackers with minimal access rights to the system, potentially escalating their privileges through subsequent attacks.
Organizations must implement immediate mitigations including comprehensive input validation, proper output encoding, and regular security updates to address this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves implementing strict sanitization of all user inputs before storage, applying Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, and ensuring all AEM instances are updated to versions that contain the necessary security patches. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious input patterns can provide additional layers of protection. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and the need for comprehensive security testing of content management platforms. Organizations should also consider implementing privilege separation and access controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a web application attack vector under the technique of code injection, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code within user browsers through web application vulnerabilities.