CVE-2025-46889 is an Improper Access Control vulnerability (CWE-284) affecting Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions 6.5.22 and earlier. This vulnerability allows a low-privileged attacker to bypass security restrictions and escalate privileges within the AEM environment. The flaw stems from insufficient enforcement of access control policies, enabling unauthorized users to gain elevated access rights beyond their intended permissions. Notably, exploitation does not require any user interaction, and the attack vector is network-based, meaning an attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely without needing physical or local access. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.4, indicating a medium severity level, with the vector string AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N. This means the attack can be launched over the network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges, no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality and integrity to a limited extent, but does not affect availability. Adobe Experience Manager is a widely used enterprise content management system that integrates digital asset management and web content management, often deployed in large organizations for managing websites, mobile apps, and forms. The vulnerability could allow attackers to access sensitive content, modify configurations, or perform unauthorized administrative actions, potentially leading to data leakage or manipulation of digital assets. Although no public exploits are currently known, the presence of this vulnerability in a critical enterprise platform warrants prompt attention and remediation.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-46889 can be significant due to the widespread adoption of Adobe Experience Manager in sectors such as government, finance, media, and retail. Unauthorized privilege escalation could lead to exposure of sensitive personal data protected under GDPR, resulting in regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Attackers gaining elevated access might alter website content, inject malicious code, or disrupt digital services, affecting business continuity and customer trust. The confidentiality and integrity of corporate and customer data are at risk, especially in organizations that rely heavily on AEM for digital presence and customer engagement. Since exploitation does not require user interaction, the threat can be automated and scaled, increasing the risk of widespread compromise. Additionally, compromised AEM instances could serve as footholds for further lateral movement within enterprise networks, amplifying the potential damage.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize upgrading Adobe Experience Manager to a version later than 6.5.22 as soon as Adobe releases a security patch. In the absence of an immediate patch, organizations should implement strict network segmentation to limit access to AEM instances only to trusted administrative and application servers. Employing Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious access patterns targeting AEM can reduce exposure. Regularly audit user permissions and remove unnecessary low-privileged accounts that could be leveraged for escalation. Enable detailed logging and monitoring of AEM access and administrative actions to detect anomalous behavior early. Additionally, organizations should conduct internal penetration testing focusing on access control mechanisms within AEM to identify and remediate potential weaknesses. Finally, ensure that all backups of AEM content and configurations are securely stored and tested for integrity to enable rapid recovery if compromise occurs.