CVE-2026-48310: 
Adobe Experience Manager vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2026-48310 is a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files and directories outside the intended access scope. It affects Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service versions up to and including 2026.5.0, AEM 6.5 versions up to and including 6.5.25, and AEM 6.5 LTS up to and including SP2. Adobe disclosed and patched this vulnerability on July 14, 2026, via security bulletin APSB26-74. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.6 (High) (Adobe Advisory).

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory) and stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied path input within Adobe Experience Manager's file system access logic. An unauthenticated attacker can craft a network request containing path traversal sequences (e.g., ../) to escape the intended directory boundary and access arbitrary files on the underlying file system. No user interaction is required, and the vulnerability has a changed scope, meaning the impact extends beyond the vulnerable component itself. Relevant attack patterns include CAPEC-126 (Path Traversal), CAPEC-64 (Using Slashes and URL Encoding to Bypass Validation), and CAPEC-78/79 (Using Escaped/Alternate Encoding of Slashes) (Adobe Advisory).

Successful exploitation results in unauthorized read access to sensitive files and directories on the AEM server's file system, including potential exposure of configuration files, credentials, and proprietary content. The vulnerability has a high confidentiality impact with no integrity or availability impact. Because the scope is marked as changed, the file system read capability may extend beyond the AEM application boundary to other components on the host system, increasing the risk of credential harvesting and lateral movement (Adobe Advisory).

1. Reconnaissance: Identify internet-facing Adobe Experience Manager instances using tools like Shodan or Censys, targeting versions ≤ 2026.5.0 (Cloud Service), ≤ 6.5.25 (AEM 6.5), or ≤ SP2 (AEM 6.5 LTS).
2. Craft path traversal request: Construct an HTTP request to a vulnerable AEM endpoint that accepts file path parameters, embedding path traversal sequences such as ../../ or URL-encoded equivalents (e.g., %2e%2e%2f) to escape the restricted directory.
3. Bypass input validation: Use alternate encodings (double URL encoding, slash variants) to evade any basic input filtering, as indicated by the relevant CAPEC patterns.
4. Read arbitrary files: Submit the crafted request without authentication; if successful, the server returns the contents of the targeted file (e.g., /etc/passwd, AEM configuration files, or repository credentials).
5. Escalate access: Use harvested credentials or configuration data to authenticate to AEM or adjacent systems, enabling further lateral movement (Adobe Advisory).

• Network: Unusual HTTP GET/POST requests to AEM endpoints containing path traversal sequences (../, %2e%2e%2f, %252e%252e%252f) in URL parameters or headers; requests from unexpected IP ranges with no prior session context.
• Logs: AEM access logs showing repeated requests to file-serving or resource endpoints with encoded traversal patterns; HTTP 200 responses to requests referencing files outside the content repository (e.g., /etc/, /var/, system configuration paths).
• File System: Evidence of access to sensitive OS-level files (e.g., /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, AEM sling.properties, repository.xml) in file access audit logs.
• Process: Unexpected outbound connections from the AEM Java process following file read activity, potentially indicating credential reuse or data exfiltration.

Adobe has released patches addressing this vulnerability via security bulletin APSB26-74 (July 14, 2026). Organizations should apply the following fixes: AEM as a Cloud Service — upgrade to version 2026.6.0 or later; AEM 6.5 — apply the hotfix for NPR-43971 (available in the 6.5.25 hotfix package); AEM 6.5 LTS — apply the SP2 hotfix for NPR-43972. As interim mitigations, restrict network access to AEM instances using firewalls or WAF rules, and monitor logs for path traversal patterns. Applying the vendor patch is the recommended and definitive remediation (Adobe Advisory).

The CIS (Center for Internet Security) published an advisory noting multiple vulnerabilities in Adobe products patched in July 2026, including this issue, flagging the potential for arbitrary code execution across the Adobe product suite. Security aggregators such as VulnDB, CVEFeed, and Tenable (Nessus plugin 327021) have catalogued the vulnerability shortly after disclosure. No significant independent researcher commentary or social media discussion has been identified at this time (Adobe Advisory).