CVE-2025-46986 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 serves as a content management system for enterprise organizations. The platform facilitates the creation and management of web content through various form-based interfaces and user input mechanisms. This particular vulnerability exists within the form processing functionality of AEM versions 6.5.22 and earlier, where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to users. The stored XSS vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the form field processing pipeline. Attackers with low privilege access can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious JavaScript code through form fields that are subsequently stored within the application's database or content repository. When other users navigate to pages containing these vulnerable form fields, the malicious script executes within their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the victim's browser environment. The vulnerability specifically impacts the rendering of user-generated content in form fields, making it particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where multiple users interact with shared content management interfaces. This weakness allows attackers to persistently inject malicious code that remains active until explicitly removed by administrators, creating a long-term threat vector within the application ecosystem.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a typical stored XSS attack pattern where the malicious payload is first submitted through a legitimate form interface and then stored in the application's backend. The vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user input within the AEM form processing components, which fail to properly encode or escape special characters that could be interpreted as executable JavaScript code. The attack requires minimal privileges as the vulnerability exists within the form handling mechanisms that do not properly distinguish between legitimate content and potentially malicious input. When victims view pages containing the stored malicious content, their browsers execute the injected JavaScript within the context of their authenticated session, potentially enabling attackers to perform actions on behalf of the victim. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code persists across multiple user sessions and browser visits, making it particularly dangerous for persistent threat actors. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which represents a fundamental weakness in web application security where input validation fails to prevent malicious code injection into web pages. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate the application's output generation process and inject hostile content that executes in the victim's browser environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that compromise the integrity of the entire AEM deployment. Low privilege attackers can leverage this vulnerability to escalate their access within the application by stealing session cookies or credentials from other users who interact with the vulnerable content. The persistent nature of stored XSS allows attackers to maintain access to the application over extended periods, potentially enabling reconnaissance activities and further exploitation attempts. Organizations using AEM versions 6.5.22 and earlier face significant risk of unauthorized content manipulation, data exfiltration, and potential compromise of the entire digital experience platform. The vulnerability affects both the content management capabilities and the user experience aspects of AEM, as malicious scripts can alter the presentation and behavior of web pages in real-time. Security monitoring becomes challenging as the malicious code executes within legitimate user sessions, making detection more difficult and potentially leading to false negatives in security event analysis. The vulnerability also impacts the trust relationship between the application and its users, as any user interacting with vulnerable content becomes a potential vector for further attacks. Organizations may experience reputational damage if attackers use this vulnerability to compromise user data or inject malicious content into official company websites and applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate remediation needs and long-term security improvements within the AEM platform. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.23 or later, which contain patches specifically designed to address the XSS vulnerability in form processing components. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all form fields and user input points within the application, ensuring that all user-supplied data undergoes proper sanitization before being stored or rendered. Security teams should establish automated scanning processes to identify and remediate any instances of stored XSS vulnerabilities within existing content repositories. The implementation of content security policies and proper header configurations can provide additional protection against script execution in vulnerable contexts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's codebase and configuration settings. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and privilege management to limit the ability of low privilege users to inject content that could be exploited by attackers. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and following the principle of least privilege in application design and deployment. Security awareness training for content managers and administrators can help prevent accidental introduction of malicious content and improve overall security posture. Regular patch management processes should be implemented to ensure that all application components receive timely security updates and fixes. Organizations may also consider implementing web application firewalls or additional security monitoring solutions to detect and prevent exploitation attempts against known vulnerabilities.