CVE-2025-47020 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 compromised form field, the malicious script executes in their browser context. This can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user, or the delivery of further malware payloads. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.4, indicating a medium severity level. The vector metrics specify that the attack can be launched remotely over the network (AV:N), requires low privileges (PR:L), needs user interaction (UI:R), and impacts confidentiality and integrity with a scope change (S:C). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet. Stored XSS vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous in content management systems like AEM because they can affect multiple users and persist until remediated. Given AEM’s role in managing web content and digital experiences, exploitation could compromise sensitive business data and user trust.

For European organizations using Adobe Experience Manager, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality and integrity of their web applications and user data. Attackers exploiting this flaw could hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information such as authentication tokens or personal data, and perform unauthorized actions within the affected web environment. This could lead to data breaches, reputational damage, and regulatory non-compliance under GDPR. Since AEM is widely used by enterprises, government agencies, and public sector organizations across Europe for managing digital content and customer experiences, the impact could extend to critical services and customer-facing portals. The scope change in the CVSS vector indicates that the vulnerability could affect components beyond the initially compromised user context, potentially escalating the impact. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering might be used to lure victims to vulnerable pages, increasing the attack surface. Although no active exploits are reported yet, the medium severity and persistence of stored XSS make timely mitigation essential to prevent future exploitation.

European organizations should prioritize the following mitigation steps: 1) Immediately audit all AEM instances to identify usage of vulnerable versions (6.5.22 and earlier) and isolate affected environments. 2) Apply any forthcoming official Adobe patches or security updates as soon as they become available. 3) Implement robust input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data fields within AEM to prevent script injection, leveraging Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution sources. 4) Conduct thorough security testing, including automated scanning and manual penetration testing focused on XSS vectors in AEM-managed applications. 5) Educate users and administrators about the risks of phishing and social engineering attacks that could trigger the stored XSS payloads. 6) Monitor web application logs and user activity for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 7) Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block XSS payloads targeting AEM. These steps go beyond generic advice by emphasizing immediate version auditing, proactive input/output controls, and layered defenses specific to the AEM environment.