CVE-2021-44176 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Adobe Experience Manager Stored XSS in workflow Stages parameter

Understanding CVE-2021-44176

What is CVE-2021-44176?

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) version 6.5.10.0 and below, including its Cloud Service offering, is susceptible to a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This flaw could enable malicious actors to insert harmful scripts into vulnerable form fields, leading to the execution of malicious JavaScript in the victim's web browser.

The Impact of CVE-2021-44176

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 8.1, indicating a high severity threat with significant impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Attackers can exploit this flaw without requiring any special privileges, potentially leading to sensitive data exposure and unauthorized code execution.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-44176

Vulnerability Description

The stored XSS vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager affects versions 6.5.10.0 and below, allowing threat actors to inject malicious scripts into vulnerable form fields.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Experience Manager
Vendor: Adobe
Vulnerable Versions:
Version <= 6.5.10.0 (unspecified/custom)
Version <= None (unspecified/custom)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by attackers to inject and execute malicious JavaScript in web browsers when users access pages containing the vulnerable form fields.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by Adobe promptly.
Implement strong input validation mechanisms to sanitize user inputs and prevent script injection.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities that could indicate exploitation attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Conduct regular security assessments and code reviews to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
Educate users and developers on secure coding practices and the risks associated with XSS attacks.

Patching and Updates

Regularly update Adobe Experience Manager to the latest secure versions to mitigate known vulnerabilities.