CVE-2025-61796 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability classified under CWE-79, affecting Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions 11.6 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 user accesses a page containing the injected script, the malicious code executes in their browser context, potentially leading to theft of session cookies, user impersonation, or unauthorized actions within the web application. The attack requires user interaction, specifically the victim must open a maliciously crafted link that triggers the stored XSS payload. The vulnerability changes the security scope, meaning the impact extends beyond the attacker’s privileges to affect other users. The CVSS v3.1 score of 5.4 reflects a medium severity, with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring low privileges (PR:L), user interaction (UI:R), scope changed (S:C), and impacts on confidentiality and integrity (C:L/I:L) but no impact on availability (A:N). No public exploits are known at this time, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations relying on AEM for web content management, especially those hosting public-facing portals where attackers can lure users to malicious links. The absence of patches at the time of reporting necessitates immediate mitigation through configuration and security controls.

For European organizations, the impact of this stored XSS vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager can be significant. Confidentiality risks include the potential theft of session tokens, personal data, or authentication credentials, which can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information. Integrity risks arise from the possibility of attackers manipulating web content or injecting fraudulent data, undermining trust in the affected web portals. Although availability is not directly impacted, successful exploitation can facilitate further attacks such as phishing or malware distribution. Organizations in sectors like government, finance, healthcare, and media that use AEM for critical web services face reputational damage and regulatory compliance issues under GDPR if personal data is compromised. The requirement for user interaction limits automated exploitation but does not eliminate risk, as social engineering can be effective. The medium severity score suggests a moderate but actionable threat that requires attention to prevent exploitation.

1. Monitor Adobe’s official channels for patches addressing CVE-2025-61796 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data in AEM forms to prevent injection of malicious scripts. 3. Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 4. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on web application vulnerabilities, including XSS. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking on suspicious links and encourage cautious behavior to reduce the likelihood of successful social engineering. 6. Utilize web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block XSS payloads targeting AEM. 7. Limit privileges of users who can submit data to vulnerable forms to reduce the attack surface. 8. Review and harden AEM configurations to disable or restrict features that may facilitate script injection. 9. Implement logging and monitoring to detect unusual activities that may indicate exploitation attempts.