CVE-2025-46990 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 • 06/16/2025
Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.22 and earlier contain a critical 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 for cross-site scripting attacks, where malicious input is stored on the server and later executed in users' browsers. The flaw specifically affects form fields within the AEM interface, creating a persistent vector for attacker exploitation that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to full system compromise. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, making it accessible to low-privileged attackers who may have limited access to the system but can still inject malicious payloads into form fields.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within AEM's form handling components. When users submit data through vulnerable form fields, the system fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before storing it in the database or content repository. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that gets stored and subsequently rendered when other users view the affected pages. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious script persists even after the initial injection, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods. The vulnerability operates through the standard HTTP request/response cycle where user input flows through the application's processing pipeline without adequate security controls to prevent malicious code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation attacks. A successful exploitation could allow an attacker to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject additional malicious content that could compromise entire user bases. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for extended campaigns, as the stored scripts continue to execute whenever affected pages are accessed. Organizations using AEM 6.5.22 or earlier may face significant security risks including unauthorized data access, user impersonation, and potential system compromise. The attack surface is particularly broad as form fields are commonly used throughout content management systems for various user interactions including comments, contact forms, and administrative inputs.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Adobe Experience Manager 6.5.23 or later versions where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing content security policies that restrict script execution and regular security scanning of form fields for malicious content. Network-based protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to detect and block known malicious patterns in form submissions. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the vulnerable form fields within their AEM implementations and ensure that proper input sanitization is implemented across all user-facing interfaces. Additionally, user education and awareness programs should be strengthened to help identify potential phishing attempts that might leverage this vulnerability, while implementing proper access controls to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation attempts.