CVE-2025-64578 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), specifically affecting versions 6.5.23 and earlier. Stored XSS occurs when malicious scripts are permanently stored on a target server, such as within form fields, and later executed in the browsers of users who access the affected content. In this case, a low-privileged attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code into vulnerable form fields within AEM. When legitimate users browse pages containing these fields, the injected scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have some level of privilege to submit malicious input and requires user interaction (visiting the affected page) for exploitation. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4, indicating medium severity, with the vector showing network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), low privileges required (PR:L), user interaction required (UI:R), scope changed (S:C), and impacts on confidentiality and integrity but not availability (C:L/I:L/A:N). No public exploits are known at this time, and no patches have been linked yet, suggesting that organizations should be vigilant and prepare for remediation. This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79, which is a common and well-understood class of web application security issues. Adobe Experience Manager is widely used by enterprises for managing digital content and websites, making this vulnerability significant for organizations relying on AEM for their web presence and digital services.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-64578 can be significant, especially for those using Adobe Experience Manager to manage customer-facing websites or internal portals. Successful 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 undermines user trust and can lead to reputational damage, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations due to data leakage), and financial losses. Since the vulnerability requires user interaction, phishing or social engineering could be used to lure victims to vulnerable pages. The medium severity score reflects that while the impact is not catastrophic, the scope of affected systems is broad given AEM’s market penetration in Europe. The change in scope (S:C) means the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component, increasing risk. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for mitigation, but the risk remains if attackers develop exploits. Organizations in sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and e-commerce, which rely heavily on secure web applications, are particularly at risk.

1. Immediately audit all Adobe Experience Manager instances to identify versions 6.5.23 and earlier and prioritize them for remediation. 2. Apply official patches or updates from Adobe as soon as they become available; monitor Adobe security advisories closely. 3. Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all form fields to prevent injection of malicious scripts. 4. Use output encoding (e.g., HTML entity encoding) to neutralize any injected scripts before rendering content to users. 5. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. 6. Limit privileges of users who can submit content to reduce the risk of malicious input. 7. Monitor web application logs and user activity for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 8. Educate users and administrators about the risks of XSS and encourage cautious behavior when interacting with web content. 9. Consider deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block XSS payloads targeting AEM. 10. Conduct regular security testing, including penetration testing and code reviews, focusing on input handling and output encoding.