CVE-2026-103848 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 10/13/2026
Adobe Experience Manager is affected by an Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. A low-privileged attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction. Scope is changed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2026
Adobe Experience Manager contains a critical security flaw classified as Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command, commonly known as OS Command Injection and mapped to CWE-78. This vulnerability arises from the application's failure to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input before it is passed to underlying operating system commands. When specific parameters are processed by the software, special characters such as semicolons, pipes, or ampersands can be interpreted not merely as data but as command delimiters. This allows an attacker to inject malicious shell commands that execute with the privileges of the application process. The technical root cause lies in the lack of rigorous input validation and the direct concatenation of user inputs into system-level execution strings without employing safe APIs or parameterized approaches that isolate arguments from executable code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it enables arbitrary code execution within the context of the current user running the Adobe Experience Manager service. This represents a significant escalation in risk because an attacker does not need to be authenticated at a high privilege level; even a low-privileged account can trigger the exploit. Furthermore, exploitation does not require any interaction from legitimate users, such as clicking links or opening files, making it fully remote and automated. The scope of the vulnerability is expanded beyond typical boundary violations because the impact extends to the underlying operating system environment rather than being confined strictly to the web application layer. This means that successful exploitation can lead to complete compromise of the server hosting the instance, including access to sensitive data, installation of malware, or use of the compromised host as a pivot point for further network attacks.
From an offensive security perspective, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Command and Scripting Interpreter abuse, specifically those involving indirect command execution through vulnerable applications. Attackers can leverage this flaw to establish persistent access, exfiltrate data, or disrupt service availability by executing destructive commands such as file deletion or resource exhaustion. The absence of user interaction requirements significantly lowers the barrier for exploitation, allowing automated scanning tools and worm-like malware to propagate rapidly across networks running unpatched instances of Adobe Experience Manager.
To mitigate this risk, organizations must apply the latest security patches provided by Adobe immediately, as vendor-supplied fixes typically address input validation logic or restrict command execution capabilities. In environments where patching is delayed, network-level controls such as web application firewalls can be configured to detect and block common OS injection patterns in HTTP requests. Additionally, running the Adobe Experience Manager service under a restricted user account with minimal privileges limits the potential damage of successful exploitation by adhering to the principle of least privilege. Regular security audits focusing on input validation practices and code reviews for command execution functions are essential preventive measures against this class of vulnerabilities.