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CVE‑2026‑47982 is a DOM‑based Cross‑Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions 6.5.24, LTS SP1, 2026.04 and all earlier releases. Unlike traditional reflected or stored XSS, the malicious payload never leaves the victim’s browser. The flaw exists because AEM’s JavaScript code writes attacker‑controlled data to a dangerous sink (e.g., innerHTML, document.write, or eval) without proper sanitisation. An attacker can craft a special URL or manipulated web page that, when visited by an authenticated AEM user, causes the browser to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the AEM application.
The attack chain is simple:
- The victim is lured to a specially crafted page or clicks a malicious link.
- The page contains JavaScript that modifies the DOM structure of the AEM application.
- Because AEM’s client‑side code trusts the DOM, it picks up the attacker‑supplied string and passes it to a sink that executes code.
- The malicious script runs with the same privileges as the victim (e.g., an AEM editor or administrator), enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorised actions.
The vulnerability is rated MEDIUM (CVSS 5.4) with the vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N. It requires low privileges (PR:L) and user interaction (UI:R) – the victim must click or visit a malicious page. However, the scope is changed (S:C), meaning the impact can cross trust boundaries, potentially affecting other resources beyond the vulnerable component.
DailyCVE Form:
Platform: ……. AEM
Version: …….. 6.5.24 & prior
Vulnerability :…… DOM‑based XSS
Severity: ……. MEDIUM (5.4)
date: ………. 2026‑06‑09
Prediction: ……. 2026‑06‑09 (APSB26‑56)
What Undercode Say
Analytics can be performed to detect possible exploitation attempts:
Search for suspicious URL patterns in AEM access logs
grep -E "(%3Cscript%3E|%3Cimg%20src%3D|javascript:|onerror=)" /opt/aem/crx-quickstart/logs/access.log
Look for DOM manipulation attempts in custom components
find /opt/aem/crx-quickstart -name ".js" -exec grep -l "innerHTML|document.write|eval" {} \;
Check for unsafe jQuery usage that might write to the DOM
find /opt/aem/crx-quickstart -name ".js" -exec grep -l ".html(" {} \;
A simple test payload to verify a DOM XSS sink in a vulnerable AEM instance (use only on authorised systems):
// Example test for a DOM XSS issue
var userInput = window.location.hash.substring(1);
document.getElementById("someAemOutput").innerHTML = userInput;
// If the hash contains <img src=x onerror=alert(1)>, the alert fires.
Exploit
An attacker could construct a malicious link like:
`https://aem-server.example.com/content/page.html?param=`
If the AEM JavaScript reads `window.location.hash` and writes it directly into the DOM without sanitisation, the `onerror` event fires and executes the attacker’s JavaScript. More advanced exploits could:
– Steal session cookies (document.cookie) and send them to an external server.
– Perform actions on behalf of the victim (e.g., change passwords, publish content, upload malware).
– Use DOM‑based techniques to bypass CSRF tokens and fully compromise the AEM instance.
Because the vulnerability requires user interaction, attackers often combine it with social engineering or phishing campaigns.
Protection
- Immediate Patching – Upgrade to AEM Cloud Service Release 2026.05, 6.5 LTS Service Pack 2, or 6.5 Service Pack 25 as per APSB26‑56.
- Input Sanitisation – Never use
innerHTML,outerHTML,document.write, or `eval` with untrusted data. Prefer `textContent` orinnerText. - Content Security Policy (CSP) – Implement a strict CSP that disallows `unsafe-inline` and
unsafe-eval. Example header:
`Content-Security-Policy: script-src ‘self’`
- DOM XSS Linters – Use tools like DOMPurify to sanitise dynamic content before inserting it into the DOM.
Impact
Successful exploitation enables an attacker to:
- Hijack user sessions by stealing authentication cookies or tokens.
- Exfiltrate sensitive data such as page content, user lists, or configuration files.
- Execute arbitrary actions on behalf of the victim (e.g., create administrator accounts, modify pages, deploy malicious assets).
- Pivot to other systems if the AEM instance has access to internal networks or APIs.
The changed scope (S:C) means that even if the vulnerable component has limited privileges, the injected script can operate with the victim’s full context, potentially compromising the entire AEM application and its connected resources.
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
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