CVE-2025-46865 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions 6.5.22 and earlier. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input sanitization in certain form fields within the AEM platform, 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 compromised form field, the malicious script executes in their browser context. This type of DOM-based XSS (CWE-79) can lead to unauthorized actions such as session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized manipulation of the web application interface. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.4, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires low privileges (PR:L), and user interaction (UI:R) to trigger the exploit. The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the vulnerable component. 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 have been linked yet. Given the widespread use of Adobe Experience Manager in enterprise content management and digital experience delivery, this vulnerability poses a risk to organizations relying on AEM for their web presence and content workflows.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those using Adobe Experience Manager to manage public-facing websites, intranets, or customer portals. Exploitation could lead to the compromise of user sessions, leakage of sensitive information, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users. This could damage organizational reputation, lead to regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR breaches if personal data is exposed), and result in financial losses. Since AEM is often integrated with other enterprise systems, the XSS vulnerability could serve as a pivot point for further attacks. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering could be used to lure victims to vulnerable pages. The medium severity suggests that while the vulnerability is not critical, it still represents a meaningful risk that should be addressed promptly to prevent exploitation in environments with sensitive data or high-value targets.

Organizations should immediately audit their Adobe Experience Manager installations to identify affected versions (6.5.22 and earlier). Until an official patch is released, implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data in AEM forms to mitigate injection risks. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. Regularly monitor web application logs for suspicious input patterns or unusual user activity indicative of attempted XSS exploitation. Educate users about the risks of clicking on untrusted links that could lead to malicious AEM pages. Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block XSS payloads targeting AEM. Once Adobe releases a security update, prioritize timely patching and test the update in staging environments before production deployment. Additionally, review and harden AEM configurations to minimize exposure of vulnerable components and disable unnecessary features that accept user input.