Introduction
Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code on enterprise content management systems running Adobe Experience Manager Forms JEE up to version 6.5.23.0. The vulnerability, CVE-2025-54253, affects organizations that rely on AEM Forms for digital workflows and exposes critical business data and processes to compromise.
About Adobe and AEM Forms: Adobe is a leading provider of digital content management and creative software, and Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is one of its core enterprise platforms. Large organizations widely deploy AEM Forms for dynamic web forms and business process automation, so a vulnerability in this platform has a high impact across industries.
Technical information
CVE-2025-54253 is a misconfiguration vulnerability (CWE-16) in Adobe Experience Manager Forms on Java Enterprise Edition (JEE), affecting versions 6.5.23.0 and earlier. Remote, unauthenticated attackers can exploit improper configuration within the AEM Forms JEE platform to execute arbitrary code. The attack vector is network-based, with low attack complexity, no required privileges, and no user interaction. The scope is changed, which means exploitation can affect resources beyond the initial vulnerable component.
Key technical points:
- Vulnerability discovered by Assetnote researchers Shubham Shah and Adam Kues
- Public proof-of-concept code is available
- No user interaction or authentication required
- Exploitation is possible over the network
- The root cause is improper configuration within AEM Forms JEE (Adobe has not disclosed specific technical exploit details)
Internet-facing AEM Forms deployments are at particular risk, because the vulnerability lets attackers bypass security mechanisms and gain code execution on affected systems. Public proof-of-concept code makes exploitation more likely.
Patch information
Adobe has released a security update for Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms on Java Enterprise Edition (JEE) that fixes critical vulnerabilities which could lead to arbitrary code execution and arbitrary file system read. The update is available for AEM Forms versions 6.5.23.0 and earlier. Users are advised to update their installations to version 6.5.0-0108 to mitigate these vulnerabilities. Adobe's official documentation has detailed update instructions.
Patch reference: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/aem-forms/apsb25-82.html
Detection methods
Detecting vulnerabilities in web applications such as the Xpro Elementor Addons plugin and Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms takes several approaches at once. The strategies below help identify and monitor these security issues.
Insecure deserialization detection in AEM Forms:
- Run static code analysis to find deserialization processes that may not validate or sanitize input data and could lead to code execution vulnerabilities.
- Use dynamic analysis to monitor the application at runtime for unexpected behaviors or errors that could indicate exploitation attempts.
XML External Entity (XXE) injection detection in AEM Forms:
- In static analysis, review code that parses XML to confirm that external entity processing is disabled or properly configured to prevent unauthorized file access.
- In dynamic testing, send crafted XML payloads containing external entities to the application and check the responses for signs of unauthorized data access.
Struts2 DevMode misconfiguration detection in AEM Forms:
- Review the application's configuration files to confirm that the 'struts.devMode' setting is disabled. When enabled, it can expose debugging interfaces that attackers may exploit.
- Analyze logs for access to debugging endpoints or unusual error messages that could indicate unauthorized access attempts.
General monitoring and detection practices:
- Set up centralized logging and real-time monitoring to detect anomalies, such as unexpected input patterns or access to sensitive endpoints.
- Deploy an intrusion detection system (IDS) to identify and alert on known attack signatures and unusual network traffic patterns.
- Audit the application's security posture periodically, including its code and configuration, to find and fix vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
Detection references:
- https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/xpro-elementor-addons/vulnerability/wordpress-xpro-addons-for-elementor-plugin-1-4-6-1-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
- https://slcyber.io/assetnote-security-research-center/struts-devmode-in-2025-critical-pre-auth-vulnerabilities-in-adobe-experience-manager-forms/
Affected systems and versions
- Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms on Java Enterprise Edition (JEE) versions 6.5.23.0 and earlier are vulnerable
- All configurations of AEM Forms JEE up to and including 6.5.23.0 are affected
- Internet-facing deployments are at highest risk
Vendor security history
Adobe has a history of fixing critical vulnerabilities in AEM, including earlier issues involving remote code execution, cross-site scripting, and misconfiguration. It typically provides timely patches and detailed advisories. Assetnote researchers have previously found multiple critical vulnerabilities in AEM Forms, which points to ongoing security problems in the platform.
