CVE-2024-36154

5.4 MEDIUM

📋 TL;DR

This stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript into vulnerable form fields. When users visit pages containing these compromised fields, their browsers execute the attacker's code. This affects Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.20 and earlier.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:
  • Adobe Experience Manager
Versions: 6.5.20 and earlier
Operating Systems: All platforms running AEM
Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes
Notes: Affects both AEM Forms and AEM Sites components with vulnerable form fields.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Attackers could steal user session cookies, perform actions as authenticated users, redirect to malicious sites, or install malware through drive-by downloads.

🟠

Likely Case

Session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web pages, or redirection to phishing sites.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy (CSP) headers in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH
🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No
Weaponized: UNKNOWN
Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No
Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires ability to submit data to vulnerable form fields, which typically requires some level of access.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 6.5.21 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/experience-manager/apsb24-28.html

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download Adobe Experience Manager 6.5.21 or later from Adobe's distribution portal. 2. Apply the service pack following Adobe's installation guide. 3. Restart the AEM instance. 4. Verify the update was successful.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Input Validation and Sanitization

all

Implement server-side input validation and output encoding for all form fields.

Content Security Policy

all

Implement strict CSP headers to prevent execution of inline scripts.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

  • Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block XSS payloads
  • Disable or restrict access to vulnerable form components

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check AEM version via AEM Web Console (/system/console/status-productinfo) or CRXDE Lite.

Check Version:

curl -k https://<aem-host>:<port>/system/console/status-productinfo | grep 'Adobe Experience Manager'

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify version is 6.5.21 or later and test form fields with XSS payloads to ensure they're properly sanitized.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

  • Unusual form submissions with script tags or JavaScript code
  • Multiple failed XSS attempts in request logs

Network Indicators:

  • HTTP requests containing script tags or JavaScript in form parameters
  • Unusual outbound connections from user browsers after visiting AEM pages

SIEM Query:

source="aem-access.log" AND ("<script" OR "javascript:" OR "onerror=" OR "onload=")

🔗 References

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