CVE-2025-46985 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 represents a comprehensive digital experience platform that enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver digital content across multiple channels. The platform serves as a critical component in enterprise digital strategies, handling sensitive user data through various form interactions and content management workflows. This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability specifically targets the form handling mechanisms within the AEM interface, where user inputs are processed and stored for later retrieval. The flaw exists in the way the system handles and renders user-submitted data within form fields, creating an environment where malicious scripts can persist and execute when other users interact with the affected content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the AEM form processing pipeline. When users submit data through forms, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as executable code by web browsers. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious javascript payloads that are then stored within the application's database or content repository. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code persists beyond the initial injection point, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users who subsequently view the compromised content. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically within the user interface components that render form data, and can be exploited through various input vectors including text fields, rich text editors, and other user-submittable content areas.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the compromised environment. Low privileged attackers who can submit data through forms gain the ability to execute arbitrary javascript code in the contexts of other users who view the affected pages. This capability enables various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete compromise of user sessions and potentially allow attackers to escalate privileges within the AEM environment. Organizations using affected versions may experience unauthorized access to sensitive content, data breaches, and potential regulatory compliance violations. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the impact can persist long after the initial attack, creating ongoing security risks that may be difficult to detect and remediate.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.23 or later, which contain patches addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should also deploy input validation mechanisms at the application level, implement comprehensive output encoding for all user-submitted content, and conduct regular security assessments of form handling components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 related to phishing campaigns that could leverage such stored XSS vulnerabilities. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injections, conducting regular security training for administrators, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized content modifications. Organizations should also review their access controls and privilege assignments to minimize the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.