CVE-2025-46981 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 visits 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 multiple users, increasing the attack surface and potential impact. The vulnerability requires low privileges to exploit but does require user interaction, as the victim must load the affected page to trigger the script execution. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), reflecting the network attack vector, low attack complexity, low privileges required, and requirement for user interaction. The impact includes limited confidentiality and integrity loss, as the attacker can execute arbitrary scripts in the victim’s browser, potentially stealing session tokens, performing actions on behalf of the user, or defacing content. Availability is not impacted. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79, which covers improper neutralization of input leading to XSS. Given AEM’s widespread use in enterprise content management and digital experience platforms, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations relying on AEM for web content delivery and management.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be substantial, especially for those using Adobe Experience Manager to manage public-facing websites or internal portals. Successful exploitation could lead to session hijacking, unauthorized actions performed in the context of legitimate users, theft of sensitive information, and reputational damage due to defacement or malicious content injection. This is particularly critical for sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and e-commerce, where trust and data integrity are paramount. The stored nature of the XSS means multiple users can be affected once the malicious payload is stored, amplifying the potential damage. Additionally, compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations could be jeopardized if personal data is exposed or manipulated via this vulnerability. The medium severity rating suggests a moderate but non-negligible risk that requires timely remediation to prevent exploitation.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize the following actions: 1) Apply patches or updates from Adobe as soon as they become available to address CVE-2025-46981. In the absence of official patches, implement strict input validation and output encoding on all form fields to neutralize potentially malicious scripts. 2) Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 3) Conduct thorough security testing and code reviews focusing on user input handling within AEM forms and components. 4) Limit user privileges to the minimum necessary, reducing the risk posed by low-privileged attackers. 5) Monitor web application logs and user activity for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 6) Educate users about the risks of interacting with suspicious content and encourage reporting of anomalies. 7) Consider implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules tuned to detect and block XSS payloads targeting AEM. These measures combined will reduce the likelihood and impact of exploitation beyond generic advice.