CVE-2022-30681 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), specifically affecting version 6.5.13.0 and earlier. Reflected XSS vulnerabilities occur when untrusted user input is immediately returned by a web application without proper validation or encoding, allowing an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the victim's browser context. In this case, an attacker can craft a specially crafted URL referencing a vulnerable page within AEM. When a victim with low-privilege access to the AEM instance clicks on this URL, the malicious script executes within their browser session. This can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the victim. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have low-privilege access to the AEM environment, which implies that the attacker must already have some limited access to the system, such as a registered user or a user with minimal permissions. There is no indication of known exploits in the wild, and no official patch links are provided in the data. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79, which is the standard classification for Cross-Site Scripting issues. Given that AEM is a widely used enterprise content management system, this vulnerability could be leveraged to target organizations that rely on AEM for their web content delivery and management. The reflected nature of the XSS means that the attack is typically delivered via social engineering techniques, such as phishing emails containing malicious URLs. The attacker’s ability to exploit this vulnerability depends on convincing users with low-privilege access to click on these URLs. Since the vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and data, it poses a moderate security risk to affected organizations.

For European organizations using Adobe Experience Manager, this vulnerability presents a moderate risk primarily to the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and data. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of authenticated users, potentially leading to session hijacking, theft of sensitive information, or unauthorized actions within the AEM environment. This could result in defacement of web content, unauthorized disclosure of internal information, or manipulation of content management workflows. Given that AEM is often used by large enterprises, government agencies, and public sector organizations in Europe for managing critical web content, the impact could extend to reputational damage, regulatory non-compliance (especially under GDPR if personal data is exposed), and operational disruption. However, the requirement for low-privilege access and user interaction (clicking a malicious link) limits the ease of exploitation and the scope of impact. The absence of known active exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially if attackers develop exploit techniques or social engineering campaigns targeting European users. Organizations with publicly accessible AEM instances or those with many users having low-privilege access are more vulnerable to this threat.

Apply the latest Adobe Experience Manager patches and updates as soon as they become available to address this vulnerability. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-controllable inputs within AEM to prevent injection of malicious scripts. Configure Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of untrusted scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. Limit the number of users with low-privilege access to AEM and enforce the principle of least privilege to reduce the attack surface. Educate users with access to AEM about the risks of clicking on unsolicited or suspicious URLs, emphasizing phishing awareness. Monitor AEM logs and web traffic for unusual requests or patterns indicative of attempted XSS exploitation. Use web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block reflected XSS payloads targeting AEM endpoints. Regularly review and audit AEM configurations and custom code to identify and remediate potential injection points. Segment AEM environments from critical internal networks to limit lateral movement in case of compromise.