CVE-2025-46991 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 represents a comprehensive content management platform widely deployed across enterprise environments for digital experience management. This platform serves as a central hub for creating, managing, and delivering digital content across multiple channels. The vulnerability under examination affects versions 6.5.22 and earlier, which indicates a significant portion of deployed instances remain at risk. The stored XSS vulnerability specifically targets form fields within the AEM interface, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical flaw manifests through inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the AEM form processing components. When users submit data through vulnerable form fields, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape malicious script content before storing it in the database. This stored content is then served back to other users browsing pages containing these fields, executing the injected JavaScript in the context of their browser sessions. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically within the user input handling and rendering components, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect any user with access to forms within the AEM interface.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, creating potential for session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. Low privileged attackers who can submit content through forms gain the ability to compromise higher privilege users who view the malicious content. This creates a significant risk for administrative accounts that may browse pages containing vulnerable form fields. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed through legitimate user interface interactions, making it particularly insidious. According to CWE-79, this vulnerability falls under the category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically the stored variant where malicious input is permanently stored on the target server. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under TA0001 Initial Access and TA0002 Execution, as attackers can establish persistence through malicious scripts and escalate privileges through session manipulation.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term security architecture improvements. Adobe has released patches for this vulnerability in newer versions of AEM, making upgrade the primary recommended solution. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including client-side, server-side, and database-level sanitization. Web Application Firewall rules should be configured to detect and block common XSS patterns in form submissions. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can significantly reduce the impact of successful XSS attacks by limiting script execution capabilities. Regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in custom AEM extensions and configurations. The security posture should include regular monitoring of user activity in form submission areas and implementation of automated scanning tools to detect stored malicious content.