CVE-2025-46846 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions 6.5.22 and earlier. This vulnerability allows a low-privileged attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code into vulnerable form fields within the AEM platform. When a victim user accesses a page containing the compromised form field, the injected script executes in their browser context. Stored XSS vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because the malicious payload is saved on the server and served to multiple users, increasing the attack surface and potential impact. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have some level of access to submit data to the vulnerable form fields but does not require high privileges. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.4, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) shows that the attack can be performed remotely over the network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges, and user interaction is necessary (victim must visit the malicious page). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact affects confidentiality and integrity but not availability. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet, and no patches or mitigation links are provided at this time. Stored XSS in AEM is critical because AEM is widely used for managing web content and digital experiences, often hosting public-facing websites and portals. Successful exploitation could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, defacement, or distribution of malware to site visitors.

For European organizations using Adobe Experience Manager, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to web application security and user trust. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, theft of sensitive information, and potential compromise of internal systems if attackers leverage stolen credentials or session tokens. Public-facing AEM sites are often used by government agencies, financial institutions, and large enterprises in Europe, making them attractive targets. The stored nature of the XSS means multiple users can be affected, amplifying the damage. Additionally, the integrity of the content served by these organizations could be undermined, damaging reputation and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact availability, the indirect effects of exploitation (e.g., phishing campaigns or malware distribution) could cause operational disruptions and financial losses.

European organizations should prioritize the following mitigation steps: 1) Immediately review and restrict user input on all form fields within Adobe Experience Manager to ensure proper input validation and output encoding, especially for HTML and JavaScript contexts. 2) Apply any available security updates or patches from Adobe as soon as they are released. In the absence of patches, implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block malicious payloads targeting AEM form fields. 3) Conduct thorough security audits and penetration testing focused on XSS vulnerabilities in AEM deployments. 4) Educate content managers and administrators about the risks of injecting untrusted content and enforce strict content security policies (CSP) to limit script execution. 5) Monitor web traffic and logs for unusual activity indicative of XSS exploitation attempts. 6) Segment AEM environments and limit administrative access to reduce the risk of low-privileged attackers injecting malicious content. 7) Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect and block XSS attacks in real time.