CVE-2019-7964
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2019-7964 is an authentication bypass vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager that allows attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and potentially execute arbitrary code remotely. This affects Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.4 and 6.5 installations. Successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Experience Manager
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote unauthenticated attacker gains full administrative control over the AEM instance, executes arbitrary code, and compromises the entire server infrastructure.
Likely Case
Attackers bypass authentication to access restricted content, modify configurations, and potentially achieve remote code execution through subsequent exploitation.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and access controls, impact is limited to the AEM application layer without lateral movement to other systems.
🎯 Exploit Status
Authentication bypass vulnerabilities typically have low exploitation complexity and are often weaponized quickly.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply AEM 6.5.1.0 or 6.4.8.1 hotfix
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/experience-manager/apsb19-42.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the appropriate hotfix from Adobe Package Share. 2. Install via AEM Package Manager. 3. Restart the AEM instance. 4. Verify installation in Package Manager.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
allRestrict network access to AEM instances using firewall rules
Web Application Firewall
allDeploy WAF with rules to detect and block authentication bypass attempts
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate AEM instances in separate network segments with strict firewall rules
- Implement additional authentication layers (reverse proxy with auth, IP whitelisting)
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check AEM version via CRXDE Lite or System Console. Versions 6.4.x or 6.5.x without hotfixes are vulnerable.Check Version:
Access http://[aem-host]:[port]/system/console/status-productinfo or use CRXDE LiteVerify Fix Applied:
Verify hotfix installation in Package Manager and confirm version is 6.5.1.0 or 6.4.8.1 or later.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual authentication patterns
- Access to restricted paths without authentication logs
- Unexpected package installations
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests bypassing authentication endpoints
- Unusual traffic patterns to AEM administrative interfaces
SIEM Query:
source="aem-access.log" AND (status=200 OR status=302) AND (uri CONTAINS "/libs/granite" OR uri CONTAINS "/apps/") AND NOT (user-agent CONTAINS "internal" OR src_ip IN [whitelist])