CVE-2025-64556 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions 6.5.23 and earlier. This vulnerability arises from insufficient sanitization of user input in certain form fields, allowing a low-privileged attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code that is stored on the server and later executed in the browsers of users who access the affected pages. The attack vector is network-based, requiring the attacker to have some level of authenticated access (low privileges) and user interaction, as the victim must visit the compromised page for the script to execute. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity by enabling potential session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed in the context of the victim’s session. Availability is not affected. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.4, reflecting medium severity, with the vector string indicating network attack vector, low attack complexity, low privileges required, user interaction required, and a scope change. No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and published. Adobe Experience Manager is widely used by enterprises and public sector organizations for web content management, making this vulnerability a significant concern for organizations relying on AEM for their web presence. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to compromise user sessions, deface websites, or conduct phishing attacks by injecting malicious scripts. The vulnerability’s exploitation could lead to data leakage or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of legitimate users. Given the nature of stored XSS, the impact can be persistent and affect multiple users. The lack of a patch at the time of disclosure necessitates immediate mitigation through configuration changes and input validation.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-64556 can be substantial, especially for those relying on Adobe Experience Manager to manage public-facing websites or internal portals. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, theft of sensitive information such as authentication tokens or personal data, and potential defacement or manipulation of web content. This can damage organizational reputation, lead to regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations due to data leakage), and disrupt business operations. Public sector entities and financial institutions, which often use AEM for critical web services, are particularly at risk. The medium severity score indicates that while the vulnerability is not trivially exploitable without some privileges and user interaction, the consequences of successful exploitation can still be significant. Persistent XSS can also facilitate further attacks such as malware distribution or lateral movement within the network if internal users are targeted. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the public disclosure increases the risk of future exploitation attempts.

1. Monitor Adobe’s official channels closely and apply security patches or updates for Adobe Experience Manager as soon as they become available. 2. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data in AEM forms to prevent injection of malicious scripts. 3. Restrict user privileges to the minimum necessary, especially for users who can submit data to vulnerable form fields. 4. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. 5. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on web application vulnerabilities, including XSS. 6. Use web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block XSS payloads targeting AEM. 7. Educate users and administrators about the risks of XSS and encourage cautious behavior when interacting with web content. 8. Consider isolating or sandboxing vulnerable components until patches are applied to reduce exposure. 9. Review and harden AEM configurations to disable unnecessary features or form fields that could be exploited. 10. Implement logging and monitoring to detect suspicious activities indicative of exploitation attempts.