CVE-2025-46888 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 interface. 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 permanently stored on the server and served to any user who views the affected page, increasing the attack surface. The vulnerability requires low privileges to exploit and user interaction (visiting the infected page) to trigger the script execution. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based with low attack complexity, requires privileges but only low-level, and user interaction is necessary. The impact primarily affects confidentiality and integrity by enabling theft of session tokens, credentials, or performing actions on behalf of the victim user. Availability is not impacted. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that organizations should prioritize monitoring and mitigation efforts to prevent exploitation once patches are released. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79, which is a common and well-understood web application security issue related to improper input validation and output encoding.

For European organizations using Adobe Experience Manager, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to web application security and user data confidentiality. A successful exploit could lead to session hijacking, unauthorized actions performed in the context of legitimate users, and potential data leakage. Given that AEM is widely used by enterprises, government agencies, and media companies across Europe for content management and digital experience delivery, the impact could extend to sensitive customer data, internal communications, and critical business processes. The stored nature of the XSS means that multiple users can be affected once the malicious script is stored, amplifying the potential damage. Furthermore, compromised user accounts could be leveraged to escalate privileges or move laterally within the organization’s network. The medium severity rating suggests that while the vulnerability is not trivially exploitable without some user interaction and privileges, the consequences of exploitation could still be disruptive, especially in sectors with high regulatory requirements such as finance, healthcare, and public administration. Additionally, reputational damage and compliance violations (e.g., GDPR) could result from data breaches facilitated by this vulnerability.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation strategies: 1) Immediately audit all AEM instances to identify if they are running vulnerable versions (6.5.22 or earlier). 2) Apply any available security patches from Adobe as soon as they are released; if patches are not yet available, consider temporary workarounds such as disabling or restricting access to vulnerable form fields or modules. 3) Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data fields within AEM to prevent injection of malicious scripts. 4) Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. 5) Conduct regular security testing, including automated scanning and manual penetration testing focused on XSS vulnerabilities in AEM deployments. 6) Educate users and administrators about the risks of XSS and encourage cautious behavior when interacting with web content. 7) Monitor logs and web traffic for unusual activity that may indicate attempted exploitation. 8) Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block XSS payloads targeting AEM. These measures, combined, will reduce the attack surface and limit the potential impact until a permanent fix is applied.