CVE-2022-42367 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), specifically affecting 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 that executes in the context of the victim's browser. In this case, a low-privileged attacker can craft a malicious URL referencing a vulnerable page within AEM and trick a victim into clicking it. Once the victim accesses the URL, the injected script executes, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the victim. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, indicating improper neutralization of input during web page generation. No authentication is required for exploitation, and the attack relies on social engineering to convince users to visit the malicious URL. Adobe has not published a patch link in the provided information, and no known exploits are currently reported in the wild. However, given the widespread use of AEM in enterprise content management and digital experience delivery, this vulnerability poses a significant risk if left unmitigated. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and data, as malicious scripts can steal sensitive information or manipulate user interactions within the affected web application.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be substantial, especially for those relying on Adobe Experience Manager to deliver customer-facing websites, intranet portals, or digital services. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to user accounts, leakage of sensitive personal or corporate data, and damage to organizational reputation. This is particularly critical for sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and e-commerce, where data privacy and trust are paramount. Additionally, compromised user sessions could be leveraged to escalate attacks or distribute malware. Given the GDPR regulatory environment in Europe, data breaches resulting from such vulnerabilities could also lead to significant legal and financial penalties. The reflected XSS nature means the attack vector depends on user interaction, but the ease of crafting malicious URLs and the potential for phishing campaigns increase the risk of successful exploitation.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize the following actions: 1) Apply the latest Adobe Experience Manager patches as soon as they become available, even if not explicitly linked in the advisory, by monitoring Adobe's official security bulletins. 2) Implement robust input validation and output encoding on all user-controllable inputs to prevent injection of malicious scripts. 3) Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 4) Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking on suspicious links, particularly those that appear to originate from trusted sources. 5) Use web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules tuned to detect and block reflected XSS payloads targeting AEM endpoints. 6) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on web application vulnerabilities, including XSS. 7) Monitor web server and application logs for unusual request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. 8) Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the impact of session hijacking if credentials are compromised.