CVE-2022-42354 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) version 6.5.14 and earlier. Reflected XSS vulnerabilities occur when an application includes untrusted user input in a web page without proper validation or escaping, allowing an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code. In this case, a low-privileged attacker can craft a malicious URL referencing a vulnerable page within AEM. When a victim clicks on this URL, the injected JavaScript executes in the context of the victim's browser session. This can lead to theft of session cookies, credentials, or other sensitive information accessible through the browser, as well as unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the victim. The vulnerability does not require authentication, increasing its risk, but it does require social engineering to convince the victim to visit the malicious URL. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the published date, and no official patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79, which covers improper neutralization of input leading to XSS. Adobe Experience Manager is a widely used enterprise content management system, often deployed in public-facing websites and portals, making this vulnerability a significant concern for organizations relying on AEM for digital experience management.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be substantial, especially for those using Adobe Experience Manager to manage customer-facing websites, intranets, or portals. Exploitation could lead to session hijacking, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and potential compromise of user accounts. This can damage organizational reputation, lead to data breaches, and cause regulatory compliance issues under GDPR due to exposure of personal data. Additionally, attackers could use the vulnerability as a foothold to conduct further attacks such as phishing or spreading malware. The reflected XSS nature means that the attack requires user interaction, but the widespread use of AEM in sectors like government, finance, and retail across Europe increases the risk of targeted attacks. The medium severity rating reflects the balance between the need for user interaction and the potential for significant confidentiality and integrity impacts.

Organizations should immediately review their Adobe Experience Manager deployments and restrict access to vulnerable pages where possible. Implementing robust input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data is critical to prevent XSS. Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) can be configured to detect and block malicious payloads targeting this vulnerability. Security teams should educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links and implement email filtering to reduce phishing attempts. Monitoring web logs for unusual URL patterns referencing vulnerable pages can help detect exploitation attempts. Since no official patch is linked, organizations should engage with Adobe support for updates or workarounds. Additionally, applying Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can mitigate the impact of XSS by restricting the execution of unauthorized scripts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on AEM instances are recommended to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities proactively.