CVE-2025-64538
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAdobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.23 and earlier are affected by a DOM-based Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability that could lead to arbitrary code execution. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by injecting malicious scripts into a web page that are executed in the context of the victim's browser. A successful attacker can abuse this to achieve session takeover, increasing the confidentiality and integrity impact as high. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must visit a crafted malicious page.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceDOM-based Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager versions 6.5.23 and earlier allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages that execute in the context of the victim's browser, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution and session takeover.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 6.5.24.0< 2025.12.0= 6.5CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify AEM version via System ConsoleNavigate to /system/console/systeminfo or /system/console/bundles and locate the Adobe Experience Manager version stringAffected if The displayed version is less than 6.5.24.0, or matches version 6.5.x where x is less than 24, or is below 2025.12.0 if on the 2025.x release track
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Check version.properties fileLocate and read the version.properties file in the AEM installation directory (typically in crx-quickstart/conf or the install root)Affected if The version property shows a build version earlier than 6.5.24.0
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Verify AEM forms or HTML libraries are in useInspect if the AEM instance uses forms, HTML libraries, or dynamic DOM manipulation components that handle user input in the publish or author instanceAffected if User-controllable input is rendered directly into HTML without sanitization via DOM-based rendering paths
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Check for CSP headersReview the Apache Sling or dispatcher configuration for Content-Security-Policy headers, or test by viewing HTTP response headers from the AEM instanceAffected if No CSP headers are present, or CSP headers are configured to allow unsafe-inline scripts, which would enable XSS execution if the vulnerability is present
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Review web console DOM handlingAccess the AEM web console or admin interfaces and inspect how URL parameters or form inputs are handled in client-side code, particularly in customize or personalization featuresAffected if Parameters are reflected in the client-side HTML without proper encoding or sanitization
You are affected if your AEM version is below 6.5.24.0 (or below 2025.12.0 if on that release track) AND your instance exposes user input through DOM manipulation paths without sanitization.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped6.5.24.02025.12.0
Apply AEM 6.5.24 or later patch to address this vulnerability. Additionally, implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and validate/sanitize all user-supplied input in DOM manipulations.
AEM 6.5.24.0 or later (6.5.x line) OR AEM 2025.12.0 or later (2025 release train)
- 1. Back up your AEM instance (repository, configuration, and custom code) before attempting any upgrade
- 2. Review Adobe's official upgrade documentation for your target version at helpx.adobe.com
- 3. Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements for AEM 6.5.24.0 or 2025.12.0
- 4. Stop the AEM instance and any related services
- 5. Apply the upgrade by running the AEM upgrade procedure for your chosen fixed version (6.5.24.0 or 2025.12.0)
- 6. After upgrade, verify that all custom bundles, packages, and workflows function correctly
- 7. Test the fix by confirming the XSS vulnerability is no longer present in the updated version
- 8. Restart the AEM instance and monitor logs for any errors
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-64538 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-64538 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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