CVE-2022-35695 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions up to and including 6.5.14. 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 into a URL. When a victim clicks on a crafted URL referencing the vulnerable AEM page, the malicious script executes within the victim's browser context. This can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, unauthorized actions on behalf of the user, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability requires a low-privileged attacker to convince a victim to visit the malicious URL, meaning no authentication is needed for exploitation, but user interaction is required. Adobe Experience Manager is a widely used enterprise content management system, often deployed in corporate and public sector websites to manage 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 mitigations have been linked in the provided data. The reflected nature of the XSS means the malicious payload is not stored on the server but delivered via crafted URLs, increasing the risk of phishing or social engineering attacks targeting users of affected AEM instances. Given the nature of AEM deployments, the vulnerability could impact both internal users and external visitors depending on the affected page's accessibility.

For European organizations using Adobe Experience Manager, this vulnerability poses a medium risk primarily to the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and data. Attackers could exploit the flaw to steal session cookies, impersonate users, or perform unauthorized actions within the context of the victim's browser session. This could lead to data leakage, unauthorized access to sensitive information, or manipulation of web content. Public-facing websites managed via AEM are particularly at risk, as attackers can target customers, partners, or employees through phishing campaigns. The impact on availability is limited since this is not a denial-of-service vulnerability. However, reputational damage and regulatory consequences (e.g., GDPR violations due to data breaches) could be significant if user data is compromised. The medium severity reflects the need for user interaction and the absence of known active exploitation but does not diminish the importance of timely mitigation given the widespread use of AEM in Europe across sectors such as government, finance, and retail.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately review and apply any available Adobe patches or updates for Experience Manager beyond version 6.5.14 once released, as Adobe typically addresses such vulnerabilities in security updates. 2) Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block reflected XSS attack patterns targeting AEM URLs, including filtering suspicious query parameters and script tags. 3) Conduct thorough input validation and output encoding on all user-controllable inputs in custom AEM components or templates to prevent injection of malicious scripts. 4) Educate users and administrators about phishing risks associated with clicking on suspicious URLs, emphasizing caution with links received via email or messaging platforms. 5) Enable Content Security Policy (CSP) headers on affected web properties to restrict execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of potential XSS payloads. 6) Monitor web server and application logs for unusual URL requests or error patterns indicative of attempted exploitation. 7) Limit exposure by restricting access to sensitive AEM pages where possible, using authentication and authorization controls. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate protective controls and user awareness tailored to the nature of reflected XSS in AEM environments.