The vulnerability CVE-2025-54253 affects Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms on JEE versions 6.5.23.0 and earlier. It is a critical misconfiguration flaw involving the exposure of the /adminui/debug servlet endpoint, which dangerously evaluates user-supplied Object-Graph Navigation Language (OGNL) expressions as Java code. This evaluation occurs without any authentication or input validation, enabling attackers to send a single crafted HTTP request to execute arbitrary system commands remotely. The flaw effectively allows unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE), which can lead to full system compromise, data theft, or disruption of services. Adobe addressed this vulnerability in the 6.5.0-0108 patch released in August 2025, alongside another high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2025-54254). The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog due to confirmed active exploitation. Although detailed public information on exploitation techniques is limited, proof-of-concept code is publicly available, increasing the risk of widespread attacks. The flaw's root cause is a dangerously exposed servlet that evaluates OGNL expressions without safeguards, a critical design and configuration oversight. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication or user interaction, making exploitation straightforward for attackers scanning for vulnerable AEM instances. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe AEM Forms are urged to apply patches immediately and review their configurations to disable or secure the vulnerable endpoint. The vulnerability's presence in widely used enterprise content management systems amplifies its potential impact, especially in sectors relying heavily on Adobe AEM for digital content delivery and management.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-54253 is severe. Adobe Experience Manager is widely used across various industries including government, finance, media, and retail for managing digital content and customer experiences. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution, allowing attackers to gain full control over affected servers. This can result in data breaches involving sensitive customer and corporate data, disruption of critical digital services, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks to compromise additional systems. The lack of authentication and input validation means attackers can exploit this remotely and anonymously, increasing the likelihood of automated mass scanning and exploitation campaigns. Given the active exploitation reported by CISA, European organizations face immediate threats to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their systems. The operational disruption could affect public-facing websites, internal portals, and backend systems, potentially causing reputational damage and regulatory consequences under GDPR for data breaches. The critical nature of this flaw also raises concerns about supply chain security, as compromised AEM instances could serve as footholds for further attacks on partners and customers. Overall, the vulnerability poses a high risk to business continuity and data security for European entities relying on Adobe AEM.

1. Immediate application of Adobe's patch version 6.5.0-0108 or later is essential to remediate the vulnerability. 2. If patching is not immediately feasible, disable or restrict access to the /adminui/debug servlet endpoint through network controls such as firewalls or web application firewalls (WAFs). 3. Implement strict input validation and disable any unnecessary debug or administrative endpoints exposed to the internet. 4. Conduct comprehensive asset inventories to identify all instances of Adobe AEM Forms running vulnerable versions. 5. Monitor network traffic and logs for suspicious HTTP requests targeting the /adminui/debug endpoint or unusual OGNL expression patterns. 6. Employ intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) tuned to detect exploitation attempts of this vulnerability. 7. Enforce network segmentation to limit the impact of potential compromises and restrict lateral movement. 8. Review and harden authentication and authorization mechanisms around administrative interfaces. 9. Educate security teams and incident responders about the vulnerability and signs of exploitation to enable rapid detection and response. 10. Engage with Adobe support and threat intelligence sources for updates and indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability.