CVE-2023-48570 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in 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 affected system. When a victim user accesses a page containing the compromised form field, the malicious script executes in their browser context. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, which pertains to improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), with vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N, indicating that the attack can be performed remotely over the network, requires low privileges, and user interaction (such as visiting a malicious page) is necessary. The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component, and the impact affects confidentiality and integrity to a limited extent but does not affect availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches are linked yet. Given Adobe Experience Manager's role as a content management system widely used by enterprises for managing web content and digital assets, exploitation could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed in the context of the victim user, potentially including administrators or privileged users if they visit the compromised pages.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on Adobe Experience Manager for public-facing websites, intranets, or digital customer engagement platforms. Exploitation could lead to theft of sensitive information such as session tokens or personal data, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users, and erosion of user trust. Given the medium severity, the risk is moderate but non-negligible, particularly in sectors handling sensitive data like finance, healthcare, government, and e-commerce. The vulnerability could also be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks, including phishing campaigns or lateral movement within an enterprise network. The requirement for user interaction means that social engineering or targeted phishing may be used to lure victims to vulnerable pages. Since AEM is often integrated with other enterprise systems, the compromise of a single component could have cascading effects. Additionally, the scope change in the CVSS vector suggests that the vulnerability could affect multiple components or users beyond the initial injection point, increasing potential impact.

European organizations using Adobe Experience Manager should immediately review their AEM deployments to identify affected versions (6.5.18 and earlier). Although no official patches are currently linked, organizations should monitor Adobe’s security advisories for updates and apply patches as soon as they become available. In the interim, organizations should implement strict input validation and output encoding on all form fields to prevent script injection. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. Conduct thorough security testing, including automated scanning and manual penetration testing focused on XSS vectors within AEM-managed applications. Limit user privileges to the minimum necessary, especially for content editors who can input data into forms. Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking on untrusted links or visiting suspicious pages. Additionally, consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block XSS payloads targeting AEM. Regularly audit logs for unusual activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. Finally, review and harden session management mechanisms to mitigate the impact of potential session hijacking.