CVE-2025-54249 is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability identified in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions 6.5.23.0 and earlier. SSRF vulnerabilities occur when an attacker can manipulate a server to make HTTP requests to arbitrary domains or internal systems, potentially bypassing security controls. In this case, a low-privileged attacker can exploit the vulnerability to manipulate server-side requests, resulting in a security feature bypass. Specifically, the attacker can cause the server to send crafted requests that the server itself processes, allowing unauthorized read access to internal resources or sensitive data that should normally be protected. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L) and only requires low privileges (PR:L). The impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H), with no impact on integrity or availability. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-918, which corresponds to SSRF. No public exploits are currently known, and no patches have been linked yet. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5, indicating a medium severity level. This vulnerability is significant because Adobe Experience Manager is widely used by enterprises for content management and digital experience delivery, often hosting sensitive corporate and customer information. An attacker leveraging this SSRF could access internal services or data repositories that are otherwise inaccessible externally, potentially leading to data leakage or further pivoting within the network.

For European organizations, the impact of this SSRF vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager can be substantial. Many European enterprises, government agencies, and public sector organizations rely on AEM for managing websites, digital content, and customer interactions. Unauthorized read access could expose sensitive personal data protected under GDPR, intellectual property, or internal business information. This exposure could lead to regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust. Additionally, SSRF can be a stepping stone for attackers to access internal network services that are not directly exposed to the internet, potentially enabling further attacks such as lateral movement or reconnaissance. Given the medium severity and the requirement for only low privileges, attackers who gain limited access (e.g., through compromised user accounts or insider threats) could exploit this vulnerability to bypass security controls. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often develop exploits rapidly after disclosure.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations using Adobe Experience Manager should: 1) Monitor Adobe’s official security advisories closely for patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-54249 and apply them promptly once available. 2) Implement strict network segmentation and firewall rules to limit the server’s ability to make outbound requests to only trusted internal and external endpoints, reducing the SSRF attack surface. 3) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block SSRF attack patterns targeting AEM. 4) Review and harden access controls to ensure that only necessary users have low-privileged access that could be leveraged in this attack. 5) Conduct internal audits and penetration tests focusing on SSRF vectors within AEM deployments to identify and remediate potential exploitation paths. 6) Log and monitor server-side request activity for unusual or unauthorized outbound requests that could indicate exploitation attempts. 7) Consider implementing application-layer request validation and allowlisting to restrict URLs or IPs that the server can access. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on network-level controls, monitoring, and access management specific to the nature of SSRF in AEM environments.