CVE-2022-42350 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) version 6.5.14 and earlier. 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. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, indicating improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The attack vector requires the attacker to convince a user to click or visit a specially crafted URL, which then reflects malicious script content back to the browser without proper sanitization or encoding. This reflected XSS can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, unauthorized actions on behalf of the user, or the delivery of further malware payloads within the context of the victim's session. The vulnerability affects low-privileged attackers, meaning no elevated privileges are required to exploit it. There are no known exploits in the wild reported as of the publication date, and no official patches or updates have been linked in the provided information. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on December 21, 2022, and has been enriched by CISA, indicating recognition by US cybersecurity authorities. However, the affected versions are not precisely specified beyond 6.5.14 and earlier, which suggests a broad impact across multiple AEM deployments that have not been updated beyond this version. Given that AEM is a widely used enterprise content management system, this vulnerability poses a risk to organizations relying on it for web content delivery and digital asset management.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those using Adobe Experience Manager to manage public-facing websites or internal portals. Successful exploitation could lead to the compromise of user sessions, enabling attackers to impersonate legitimate users, access sensitive information, or perform unauthorized actions within the application. This could result in data breaches, reputational damage, and regulatory non-compliance, particularly under GDPR requirements for protecting personal data. Additionally, attackers could leverage the XSS vulnerability to deliver phishing attacks or malware, increasing the risk of broader network compromise. The reflected nature of the XSS means that the attack requires user interaction, but given the common use of AEM in marketing and customer engagement platforms, users may be targeted via email campaigns or social engineering. The medium severity rating suggests that while the vulnerability is exploitable, it may not lead to full system compromise on its own but can serve as a stepping stone for more advanced attacks. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits over time. Organizations with high-value targets, such as financial institutions, government agencies, and large enterprises, are particularly at risk due to the potential impact on confidentiality and integrity of data.

1. Immediate review and application of any available Adobe patches or updates beyond version 6.5.14 is critical. If no official patch is available, implement virtual patching via web application firewalls (WAFs) to detect and block malicious payloads targeting the vulnerable endpoints. 2. Conduct a thorough audit of all AEM instances to identify vulnerable versions and prioritize their upgrade or isolation. 3. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data reflected in web pages to prevent script injection. 4. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers accessing AEM-managed sites. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking on unsolicited links and implement email filtering to reduce phishing attempts that could exploit this vulnerability. 6. Monitor web server and application logs for unusual URL patterns or repeated attempts to exploit reflected XSS. 7. Consider segmenting AEM environments and limiting access to trusted users to reduce exposure. 8. Engage in regular security testing, including penetration testing focused on XSS vulnerabilities, to detect and remediate similar issues proactively.