CVE-2023-48527 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions 6.5.18 and earlier. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input sanitization in certain form fields, allowing a low-privileged attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code that is persistently stored on the server. When a victim user accesses a page containing the vulnerable form field, the malicious script executes in their browser context. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, indicating improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N, meaning the attack can be launched remotely over the network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges, and user interaction is necessary (the victim must visit the malicious page). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity by potentially allowing theft of session tokens, user credentials, or manipulation of displayed content, but does not affect availability. The scope is changed (S:C), indicating the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component. No known exploits in the wild have been reported yet, and no official patches are linked in the provided data, suggesting organizations should monitor Adobe advisories closely. Stored XSS in a widely used enterprise content management system like AEM is particularly dangerous because it can affect multiple users and administrators who access the compromised content, potentially leading to broader compromise within an organization.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on Adobe Experience Manager for managing public-facing websites, intranets, or digital asset management. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, session hijacking, or defacement of web content, undermining trust and potentially violating data protection regulations such as GDPR. Since AEM is often used by government agencies, large enterprises, and media companies in Europe, a successful attack could disrupt business operations and damage reputations. The requirement for low privileges to exploit means insider threats or compromised low-level accounts could leverage this vulnerability. The need for user interaction (visiting a malicious page) suggests phishing or social engineering could be used to trigger the exploit. The vulnerability’s scope change indicates that exploitation might affect other components or services integrated with AEM, increasing the risk of lateral movement or broader compromise within an organization’s IT environment.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately review and restrict user privileges in Adobe Experience Manager to the minimum necessary, reducing the risk from low-privileged attackers. 2) Conduct a thorough audit of all input fields in AEM instances to identify and temporarily disable or sanitize vulnerable form fields until patches are available. 3) Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers with strict script-src directives to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers accessing AEM content. 4) Educate users and administrators to recognize phishing attempts that could lead to visiting maliciously crafted pages. 5) Monitor web server and application logs for unusual input patterns or repeated attempts to inject scripts. 6) Deploy web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block common XSS payloads targeting AEM. 7) Stay updated with Adobe security advisories and apply official patches or hotfixes as soon as they are released. 8) Consider isolating AEM environments or restricting access to trusted networks to reduce exposure. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on privilege management, input auditing, and layered defenses specific to AEM deployments.