CVE-2025-64861 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions 6.5.23 and earlier. The vulnerability arises from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input in certain form fields, allowing a low-privileged attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code that is persistently stored on the server. When other users access the affected pages containing the injected script, the malicious code executes within their browsers under the context of the vulnerable web application. This can lead to unauthorized actions such as session hijacking, theft of sensitive information, or manipulation of displayed content. The vulnerability requires user interaction, as the victim must visit the compromised page for the script to execute. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.4 reflects a medium severity, with an attack vector of network, low attack complexity, low privileges required, and user interaction necessary. The scope is changed, indicating that the vulnerability affects resources beyond the attacker’s privileges. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the presence of this vulnerability in widely used enterprise content management software highlights the risk of targeted attacks. Adobe has not yet released patches, so organizations must rely on interim mitigations such as input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy enforcement to reduce risk.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on Adobe Experience Manager to manage public-facing websites and intranet portals. Exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the browsers of employees, partners, or customers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of legitimate users. This can result in data breaches, reputational damage, and regulatory non-compliance under GDPR if personal data is compromised. The medium severity score indicates that while availability is not affected, confidentiality and integrity risks are present. Given the widespread use of AEM in sectors such as government, finance, and media across Europe, the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted phishing or social engineering campaigns. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits once patches are released or if the vulnerability becomes publicly known.

1. Monitor Adobe’s official channels for the release of security patches addressing CVE-2025-64861 and apply them promptly upon availability. 2. Implement strict input validation on all form fields to reject or sanitize potentially malicious input before storage. 3. Apply robust output encoding on all user-supplied data rendered in web pages to prevent script execution. 4. Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of injected code. 5. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on web application vulnerabilities, including XSS. 6. Educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links or visiting untrusted pages within corporate environments. 7. Use web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block XSS payloads targeting AEM. 8. Limit privileges of users who can submit data to vulnerable form fields to reduce the attack surface. 9. Review and harden AEM configurations to disable unnecessary features or components that could be exploited. 10. Maintain comprehensive logging and monitoring to detect anomalous activities indicative of exploitation attempts.