CVE-2026-110079 in Experience Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 10/13/2026
Adobe Experience Manager is affected by a DOM-based Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. An attacker could exploit this issue by manipulating the DOM environment to execute malicious JavaScript within the context of the victim's browser. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must visit a crafted webpage. Scope is changed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2026
Adobe Experience Manager contains a critical client-side security flaw classified as a Document Object Model-based Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability, which fundamentally alters the scope and impact profile compared to traditional server-rendered XSS attacks. This specific weakness arises from improper neutralization of user-supplied input within the JavaScript code that constructs or modifies the DOM structure dynamically. Unlike reflected or stored XSS where malicious payloads are embedded in HTTP responses or database entries, this vulnerability allows an attacker to directly manipulate the browser's internal document object model through crafted scripts hosted on a separate domain. The core technical failure lies in the application's insufficient validation and sanitization of data that is subsequently used as input for DOM manipulation methods such as innerHTML, outerHTML, or write statements without proper encoding. This architectural oversight permits the injection of executable JavaScript code into the page context when specific user interactions trigger these dynamic updates.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant because it enables an attacker to execute arbitrary scripts in the security context of the victim's browser session against Adobe Experience Manager interfaces. Since the attack vector relies on DOM manipulation rather than server-side rendering, the malicious payload does not need to be stored on the target application's servers, making detection by traditional web application firewalls more challenging unless they are specifically configured for client-side script injection patterns. The requirement for user interaction means that exploitation typically involves social engineering tactics where a victim is lured to visit a specially crafted webpage or click a malicious link containing the exploit code. Once executed, the injected JavaScript can perform actions with the same privileges as legitimate application scripts, including accessing sensitive cookies, session tokens, and local storage data associated with the Adobe Experience Manager instance.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-79, which describes Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation commonly known as Cross-site Scripting. More specifically, it falls under the sub-category of DOM-based XSS where the vulnerability exists in client-side code rather than server-generated HTML. In terms of offensive security frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK, this technique maps to T1059 Command and Control via Browser Relay or potentially T1189 Drive-by Compromise depending on whether additional malware delivery mechanisms are employed alongside the script execution. The change in scope noted in the vulnerability description indicates that previous assessments may have underestimated the risk by assuming server-side controls were sufficient, whereas this flaw bypasses those boundaries entirely by operating within the client environment.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar DOM-based injection flaws. Developers should implement strict input validation using allowlists for expected data formats rather than relying solely on blacklist approaches which are prone to evasion techniques. It is essential to use context-aware encoding when inserting user-supplied data into the DOM, ensuring that special characters such as angle brackets and quotes are properly escaped before rendering. Utilizing modern JavaScript frameworks that automatically escape content by default can significantly reduce this risk profile. Additionally, implementing a Content Security Policy with strict directives regarding script sources and object types provides an effective defense-in-depth layer that prevents unauthorized scripts from executing even if they manage to inject into the DOM structure. Regular security code reviews focusing on dynamic client-side logic are also recommended to identify and rectify unsafe DOM manipulation patterns before deployment.