CVE-2025-46978 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 AEM, 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. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, indicating improper neutralization of input during web page generation. 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 (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component, and the impact is limited to confidentiality and integrity (C:L/I:L), with no impact on availability. No public exploits are currently known. Stored XSS vulnerabilities can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, unauthorized actions on behalf of users, and distribution of malware, especially in environments where trusted users access the compromised pages. Given AEM's role as a content management system widely used by enterprises for managing web content, this vulnerability poses a risk to the integrity and confidentiality of user sessions and data.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those using Adobe Experience Manager to manage public-facing or internal web portals. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information, session hijacking of authenticated users, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks if attackers leverage stolen credentials or session tokens. Organizations in sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and critical infrastructure that rely on AEM for content delivery may face reputational damage, regulatory penalties under GDPR due to data breaches, and operational disruptions. The medium severity score reflects that while the vulnerability does not directly affect availability, the confidentiality and integrity impacts can facilitate further attacks or data leakage. The requirement for user interaction means social engineering or phishing may be used to lure victims to the malicious content. Given the widespread use of AEM in Europe, the risk is non-trivial and warrants prompt remediation.

1. Immediate patching: Although no patch links are provided, organizations should monitor Adobe’s official security advisories and apply updates or patches as soon as they become available for AEM 6.5.22 and earlier. 2. Input validation and sanitization: Implement additional server-side input validation and output encoding on all form fields to prevent injection of malicious scripts. 3. Content Security Policy (CSP): Deploy strict CSP headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 4. User awareness training: Educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links or interacting with untrusted content to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. 5. Web Application Firewall (WAF): Configure WAF rules to detect and block typical XSS attack patterns targeting AEM forms. 6. Regular security assessments: Conduct penetration testing and code reviews focusing on input handling in AEM to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities proactively. 7. Least privilege principle: Restrict user permissions within AEM to minimize the ability of low-privileged users to inject malicious content. 8. Monitoring and logging: Enable detailed logging of user inputs and monitor for unusual activities that may indicate exploitation attempts.