CVE-2025-54254VulnerabilityPublished 5 Aug 2025Updated 22 Aug 2025

CVE-2025-54254: Adobe Experience Manager · XXE

Affects Adobe Experience ManagerSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · 77% EPSS · CVSS 8.6 High.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

8.6High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 77.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 99% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Changed: An exploited vulnerability can affect resources beyond the security scope managed by the security authority of the vulnerable component. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are different and managed by different security authorities.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 5 Aug 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Adobe Adobe Experience Manager	Affected =0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

1. Immediate risk mitigation should include restricting network access to Adobe Experience Manager instances, limiting exposure to trusted internal networks or VPNs only. 2. Implement strict input validation and XML parser configuration to disable external entity processing where possible, or use secure XML parsing libraries that mitigate XXE risks. 3. Monitor logs and network traffic for unusual XML payloads or access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. 4. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block malicious XML requests targeting XXE vectors. 5. Segregate AEM servers from critical infrastructure to contain potential breaches. 6. Maintain up-to-date backups and ensure incident response plans include scenarios for data exposure via XXE. 7. Once Adobe releases official patches or updates, prioritize immediate deployment after testing in controlled environments. 8. Conduct security assessments and penetration testing focused on XML processing components to identify residual risks. 9. Educate development and operations teams about secure XML handling best practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities in custom integrations or extensions.

Description

Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.23 and earlier are affected by an Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference ('XXE') vulnerability that could lead to arbitrary file system read. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to access sensitive files on the local file system, scope is changed. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-54254 can be significant, especially for those relying on Adobe Experience Manager for content management and digital experience delivery. Unauthorized file system reads can lead to exposure of sensitive corporate data, intellectual property, user credentials, or configuration details that could facilitate further attacks. Confidentiality breaches can result in regulatory non-compliance, particularly under GDPR, which mandates strict protection of personal data. The changed scope of the vulnerability suggests that exploitation could affect multiple components or services, potentially amplifying the damage. Since no authentication or user interaction is required, attackers can remotely exploit this vulnerability, increasing the risk of widespread compromise. This can lead to reputational damage, financial losses, and operational disruptions. Additionally, exposed internal files might contain secrets or keys that could be leveraged for lateral movement or privilege escalation within the network. Given the critical role of AEM in digital infrastructure, the vulnerability could also impact service availability indirectly through subsequent attacks or data leaks.

CWE-611Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A02:2025: Security Misconfiguration (opens in a new tab)
The product processes an XML document that can contain XML entities with URIs that resolve to documents outside of the intended sphere of control, causing the product to embed incorrect documents into its output.
Implementation · System Configuration
Many XML parsers and validators can be configured to disable external entity expansion.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Deserialization (opens in a new tab)
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
XML External Entity Prevention (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V5.5.2 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Data Serialization External Entities Blowup (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

helpx.adobe.com/security/products/aem-forms/apsb25-82.html (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 23 Aug 2025, 00:37 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-611

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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