CVE-2022-35697 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Core Components version 2.20.6 and earlier. This vulnerability arises when an attacker crafts a malicious URL referencing a vulnerable page within the AEM environment. When a victim with at least low author privileges clicks on this URL, the malicious JavaScript payload is executed within the context of the victim's browser session. The reflected XSS vulnerability allows the injection of arbitrary scripts that can hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information such as authentication tokens or cookies, perform actions on behalf of the victim, or redirect users to malicious sites. The attack requires the attacker to have low author privileges, which means the attacker must have some authenticated access to the AEM instance but does not require administrative rights. No user interaction beyond clicking the crafted URL is necessary, and the vulnerability does not require elevated privileges beyond low author access. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and could be targeted by threat actors. The lack of a patch link in the provided information suggests that remediation may require updating to a newer version of AEM Core Components or applying vendor-provided fixes once available. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, which is a common and well-understood web application security issue related to improper input validation and output encoding, leading to script injection. Given the nature of AEM as a widely used enterprise content management system, exploitation could impact web application integrity and user trust.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on Adobe Experience Manager for managing digital content and customer-facing web portals. Exploitation could lead to session hijacking, unauthorized actions performed under the victim's identity, and potential data leakage. This can damage organizational reputation, lead to compliance violations (e.g., GDPR breaches if personal data is exposed), and disrupt business operations. Since the vulnerability requires low author privileges, insider threats or compromised low-level accounts could be leveraged to launch attacks. The reflected XSS could also be used as a vector for phishing campaigns targeting employees or customers by embedding malicious scripts in URLs. Given the integration of AEM in many digital marketing and customer engagement platforms, the vulnerability could affect the confidentiality and integrity of user interactions and data. However, the availability impact is limited as the vulnerability does not directly cause denial of service. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often weaponize publicly disclosed vulnerabilities over time.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation measures: 1) Upgrade Adobe Experience Manager Core Components to the latest version where this vulnerability is patched or apply any vendor-provided security updates as soon as they become available. 2) Enforce strict input validation and output encoding on all user-controllable inputs within AEM to prevent script injection. 3) Limit the number of users with author privileges and regularly review access rights to minimize the attack surface. 4) Implement Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block reflected XSS attack patterns targeting AEM endpoints. 5) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on web application vulnerabilities, including XSS, especially on publicly accessible AEM pages. 6) Educate users with author privileges about the risks of clicking on suspicious links and implement multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of account compromise. 7) Monitor logs for unusual activity that could indicate exploitation attempts, such as unexpected script execution or anomalous URL parameters. 8) Use Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers accessing AEM content.