CVE-2025-46949 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 subsequently accesses the affected page containing the maliciously crafted input, the injected script executes in their browser context. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, indicating improper neutralization of input leading to script injection. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), with an attack vector of network (remote exploitation), low attack complexity, requiring low privileges, and user interaction (victim must visit the malicious page). The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact affects confidentiality and integrity but not availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches or fixes have been linked yet. Stored XSS is particularly dangerous because the malicious payload persists on the server and can affect multiple users, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed in the victim’s context. Given that AEM is a widely used enterprise content management system, this vulnerability could be leveraged to compromise web portals, intranets, or customer-facing sites managed through AEM.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on Adobe Experience Manager to manage critical web content and internal portals. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, such as session tokens, personal data, or corporate credentials, violating GDPR and other data protection regulations. Integrity of displayed content could be compromised, damaging brand reputation and trust. Attackers could also use the vulnerability as a foothold to conduct further attacks within the corporate network or to deliver malware payloads. Since AEM is often used by government agencies, financial institutions, and large enterprises in Europe, successful exploitation could disrupt operations and lead to regulatory penalties. The requirement for user interaction (visiting a malicious page) means phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to trigger the exploit, increasing the attack surface. Although no known exploits are currently reported, the medium severity rating and persistence of stored XSS make it a credible threat that should be addressed promptly.

1. Immediate mitigation should include implementing strict input validation and output encoding on all form fields within AEM to prevent malicious script injection. 2. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers accessing AEM-managed sites. 3. Limit user privileges to the minimum necessary, reducing the ability of low-privileged users to inject malicious content. 4. Monitor logs and web traffic for unusual input patterns or script payloads indicative of attempted exploitation. 5. Educate users about phishing risks to reduce the likelihood of successful social engineering that could trigger the exploit. 6. Since no official patch is currently linked, organizations should engage with Adobe support to obtain any available security updates or workarounds. 7. Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules targeting common XSS payloads to block exploitation attempts. 8. Regularly audit and sanitize existing content stored in AEM to remove any previously injected malicious scripts. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on layered defenses and proactive monitoring tailored to the specifics of stored XSS in AEM.