CVE-2025-46988 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 the AEM platform, 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 vulnerable form field, the malicious script executes in their browser context. This DOM-based XSS (CWE-79) can lead to unauthorized actions such as session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized manipulation of web content. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.4, indicating a medium severity level. The vector details (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) show that the attack can be launched remotely over the network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges, and user interaction is needed to trigger the payload. The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. Adobe Experience Manager is a widely used enterprise content management system, often deployed by large organizations to manage digital assets and websites, making this vulnerability relevant for entities relying on AEM for their web presence and content delivery.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant due to the widespread adoption of Adobe Experience Manager among enterprises, government agencies, and large institutions. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the browsers of users visiting affected AEM-managed sites, potentially leading to data leakage, session hijacking, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of legitimate users. This can compromise the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information, damage organizational reputation, and lead to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR if personal data is exposed. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks within the corporate network if internal users access the vulnerable pages. Given the medium severity and requirement for user interaction, the threat is moderate but should not be underestimated, especially for organizations with high-value web assets or sensitive user bases.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize the following actions: 1) Monitor Adobe's official security advisories closely and apply patches or updates as soon as they become available for AEM versions 6.5.22 and earlier. 2) Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data in AEM forms to prevent script injection, employing context-aware encoding techniques. 3) Utilize Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers, limiting the impact of potential XSS payloads. 4) Conduct thorough security testing and code reviews focusing on client-side scripting and input handling within AEM deployments. 5) Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking on suspicious links or interacting with untrusted content hosted on AEM-managed sites. 6) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block common XSS attack patterns targeting AEM. 7) Restrict privileges of users who can submit content to the vulnerable forms to minimize the risk of malicious input injection. These targeted measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific context of AEM deployments and the nature of the vulnerability.