CVE-2022-30677 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions up to and including 6.5.13.0. This vulnerability arises when an attacker crafts a malicious URL referencing a vulnerable page within AEM, which, when visited by a victim, causes the victim's browser to execute attacker-controlled JavaScript code within the context of the affected web application. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, indicating improper neutralization of input during web page generation. Exploitation requires the attacker to have low-privilege access to the AEM instance, meaning the attacker must be able to interact with the application in some capacity, such as through authenticated or unauthenticated access depending on the deployment. The reflected nature of the XSS means the malicious script is not stored persistently but is reflected off the vulnerable page in the response to the crafted request. This can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the victim user. Adobe Experience Manager is a widely used enterprise content management system, often deployed in large organizations for managing digital assets and web content. The vulnerability does not have known exploits in the wild as of the published date, and no official patches or updates are linked in the provided information, indicating that organizations may still be vulnerable if they have not applied any interim mitigations or updates. The medium severity rating reflects the moderate impact potential and the requirement for some level of access to exploit the vulnerability.

For European organizations using Adobe Experience Manager, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and data. Attackers exploiting this reflected XSS could execute malicious scripts in the browsers of users interacting with the affected AEM instance, potentially leading to theft of session cookies, redirection to malicious sites, or unauthorized actions performed with the victim's privileges. This can compromise sensitive corporate information, damage brand reputation, and lead to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR if personal data is exposed or manipulated. The impact is heightened in organizations where AEM is used to manage customer-facing portals or internal intranet sites with sensitive information. Since exploitation requires low-privilege access, attackers might leverage social engineering or phishing to lure users into clicking malicious URLs, increasing the attack surface. The reflected XSS could also be chained with other vulnerabilities to escalate privileges or conduct more sophisticated attacks. Given the widespread use of AEM in sectors such as finance, government, and media across Europe, the potential for targeted attacks exploiting this vulnerability is significant, especially if attackers focus on high-value targets.

1. Immediate mitigation should include implementing strict input validation and output encoding on all user-controllable inputs in the affected AEM pages to prevent execution of injected scripts. 2. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers accessing the AEM instance. 3. Restrict access to AEM instances to trusted networks and users, reducing the likelihood of attackers gaining the low-privilege access required for exploitation. 4. Educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links, especially those referencing the AEM environment. 5. Monitor web server logs and application logs for unusual URL patterns or repeated attempts to exploit XSS vectors. 6. Regularly review and update AEM to the latest versions as Adobe releases patches addressing this vulnerability. 7. Use web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules specifically designed to detect and block reflected XSS attempts targeting AEM. 8. Conduct security testing and code reviews focused on input handling in AEM custom components and templates to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities proactively.