CVE-2025-47040 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 threat to web application security. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category for cross-site scripting and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which targets application security weaknesses. The flaw exists within the form processing functionality of the platform where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being stored and subsequently rendered back to users. Attackers with low privileged access can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious JavaScript code into form fields that are later displayed to other users. The vulnerability demonstrates how insufficient input validation and output encoding can create persistent security risks within content management systems. When victims browse to pages containing these stored malicious scripts, their browsers execute the injected JavaScript code within the context of their authenticated session.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal privileges and demonstrates a common pattern of insecure data handling in web applications. The stored nature of the XSS means that the malicious payload persists in the application's database or storage layer, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over time. Attackers can leverage this weakness to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to malicious domains. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft, privilege escalation, or data exfiltration. This vulnerability represents a failure in the application's security architecture where input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms are inadequate to prevent malicious code injection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations relying on Adobe Experience Manager for content management and digital experience delivery. Security teams must consider the potential for widespread compromise across all user sessions that interact with affected form fields. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including content submission forms, comment sections, or any user input field within the AEM interface. Organizations may face regulatory compliance issues if user data is compromised through this vulnerability, particularly in environments handling sensitive information. The attack surface is broad as it affects the core functionality of the platform where users routinely submit content, making it difficult to predict and prevent all potential exploitation scenarios. This weakness can also serve as a stepping stone for more advanced attacks, potentially enabling attackers to establish persistent access to the system.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected Adobe Experience Manager versions to address the stored XSS vulnerability. Organizations must implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-facing forms and content submission points. The principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit the impact of potential exploitation, ensuring that users cannot inject malicious content into fields they should not have access to modify. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application stack. Implementing content security policies and strict sanitization of user input can provide additional layers of defense against XSS attacks. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous content submission patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and security headers to further protect against cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with industry security standards.