CVE-2026-103848

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-103848 is an OS Command Injection vulnerability (CWE-78) in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) that allows a low-privileged, authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. The flaw is remotely reachable over the network, requires no user interaction, and carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9 due to its Changed scope and High confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. No public proof-of-concept, exploit code, or vendor patch has been identified as of this report.

Technical Analysis

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-78, "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command," commonly referred to as OS Command Injection. This class of flaw occurs when an application passes externally influenced input to a system shell or command interpreter without adequately neutralizing shell metacharacters or argument separators. The NVD description confirms that the impacted product is Adobe Experience Manager and that successful exploitation results in arbitrary code execution "in the context of the current user." The phrase "in the context of the current user" indicates the injected command runs under the privilege level of the AEM process or the invoking user account, not necessarily as root or SYSTEM. However, the CVSS vector assigns a Changed scope (S:C), meaning a successful exploit may allow the attacker to affect resources beyond the vulnerable component's original security authority — for example, pivoting from the web application process to the underlying host operating system or adjacent services. The vector also shows PR:L (Low privileges required), so the attacker must first obtain some form of authenticated access, but does not require administrative rights. UI:N confirms that no victim interaction is needed; the attack is fully automated once the injection point is reached. Because the source data does not disclose the specific AEM endpoint, servlet, or parameter vulnerable to injection, the exact injection vector cannot be stated with certainty. No function names, class names, URL paths, or API parameters are available from the NVD description or CNA title. The report therefore describes the vulnerability at the class level: any AEM feature that constructs an operating system command from user-supplied input and fails to sanitize shell metacharacters is a candidate attack surface. In AEM deployments, such surfaces historically include administrative console actions, workflow or replication triggers, and integration points that shell out to external binaries. These are general observations about the product class, not confirmed specifics of this CVE.

Exploitation Scenarios

No public proof-of-concept or exploit code is available; the attack chain below is inferred strictly from the vulnerability class and the NVD description. 1) Reconnaissance and target identification: The attacker identifies an internet- or intranet-exposed Adobe Experience Manager instance using Shodan or similar scanning, then obtains low-privileged credentials through phishing, credential stuffing, default accounts, or a separate vulnerability. 2) Triggering the flaw: With authenticated low-privileged access, the attacker locates a request path that causes AEM to invoke an operating system command. The attacker appends shell metacharacters or command separators to the input consumed by that path so the interpreter executes an additional command alongside or instead of the intended one. 3) Payload and execution method: At the class level, the injected content is a shell command string that the AEM process passes to the host shell; because no user interaction is required, the attacker can send the crafted request directly and repeatedly. 4) Post-exploitation impact: The attacker gains code execution as the current user, can read or modify application data, may establish persistence or reverse-shell connectivity, and — given the Changed scope — can potentially affect resources beyond the AEM application itself. No named endpoint, parameter, or payload is asserted here because none is provided in the source data.

Impact Assessment

With a base score of 9.9, CVE-2026-103848 is Critical. The Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability subscores are all High: an attacker can read sensitive data, alter or destroy content and configuration, and disrupt service availability. The Changed scope elevates risk because compromise may escape the AEM component boundary into the host operating system or connected systems. The Low privileges requirement means any authenticated user — not just administrators — can weaponize the flaw, significantly widening the internal threat surface in large authoring or publishing environments. Because exploitation requires no user interaction, it can be chained into automated campaigns after initial credential access. Blast radius includes the AEM instance, its content repository, integrated back-end services, and potentially the underlying server. No EPSS score is available and the CVE is not in CISA KEV as of this report.

Detection Guidance

Sigma Rule

title: Potential OS Command Injection Against Adobe Experience Manager
id: 9f3c1a72-4b6e-4d8a-8c21-0f5a6d2e7b90
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious shell metacharacter patterns in HTTP requests targeting Adobe Experience Manager, indicative of CWE-78 command injection attempts.
logsource:
  category: webserver
detection:
  selection_method:
    cs-method:
      - GET
      - POST
  selection_uri:
    cs-uri-query|contains:
      - ';'
      - '|'
      - '`'
      - '$('
      - '&&'
      - '>/'
  selection_agent:
    cs-user-agent|contains: 'AEM'
  condition: selection_method and selection_uri and selection_agent
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate applications passing shell metacharacters in query strings
level: high
tags:
  - attack.t1190
  - cwe.78

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2026_103848_AEM_OS_Command_Injection
{
    meta:
        description = "Detects potential OS command injection payloads targeting Adobe Experience Manager (CVE-2026-103848)"
        author = "Threat Intelligence"
        date = "2026-01-01"
        reference = "CVE-2026-103848"
        severity = "critical"
    strings:
        $aem = "Adobe Experience Manager" ascii nocase
        $meta1 = ";" ascii
        $meta2 = "&&" ascii
        $meta3 = "|" ascii
        $meta4 = "$(" ascii
        $meta5 = "`" ascii
    condition:
        $aem and any of ($meta*)
}

Suricata IDS Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2026-103848 Possible OS Command Injection Against Adobe Experience Manager"; flow:established,to_server; http.method; content:"GET"; http.method; content:"POST"; http.uri; content:";"; http.uri; content:"|7c|"; http.uri; content:"$("; http.header; content:"Adobe Experience Manager"; nocase; classtype:web-application-attack; sid:2026103848; rev:1;)

Elastic Detection

sequence by source.ip with maxspan=5m
  [network where http.request.method in ("GET", "POST") and
   wildcard(http.request.uri.query, "*;*") or wildcard(http.request.uri.query, "*$(*")]
  [network where http.request.method in ("GET", "POST") and
   wildcard(http.request.uri.query, "*&&*") or wildcard(http.request.uri.query, "*`*")]

Splunk SPL Query

index=web OR index=proxy sourcetype=access_combined
| eval uri_query=coalesce(uri_query, cs_uri_query)
| where match(uri_query, "(;|\$\(|`|&&|\|\|)") AND (match(uri_path, "(?i)aem") OR match(useragent, "(?i)Adobe"))
| stats count min(_time) as first_seen max(_time) as last_seen by src, uri_path, uri_query
| where count > 0
| sort - count

Wazuh OSSEC Rule

<group name="web,appsec,cve-2026-103848,">
  <rule id="2026103848" level="12">
    <if_sid>31100</if_sid>
    <match>Adobe Experience Manager</match>
    <regex type="pcre2">(?:\;|\$\(|\`|\&\&|\|\|)</regex>
    <description>CVE-2026-103848: Possible OS command injection attempt against Adobe Experience Manager</description>
    <mitre>
      <id>T1190</id>
    </mitre>
  </rule>
</group>

Mitigation & Patch Guidance

Patch confidence is 0/4: no patch evidence has been identified from any tracked source, and the CVE is currently UNPATCHED.

1. Immediate mitigations: Restrict network access to Adobe Experience Manager instances so only trusted networks or VPN users can reach authoring and administrative interfaces; enforce strong authentication and least-privilege roles; deploy the detection rules above and monitor web access logs for shell metacharacters in request parameters.
2. Patch and upgrade steps: Monitor Adobe's official security bulletin and CVE-2026-103848 NVD entry for an official fix; when released, test and deploy the vendor patch or the fixed AEM release immediately. Since no fixed version is known at this time, verify the installed AEM version and track vendor advisory updates directly.
3. Long-term hardening: Run AEM under a low-privilege service account, apply application allowlisting and file integrity monitoring on AEM servers, segment the host to limit lateral movement, and audit all code paths that invoke operating system commands to eliminate or strictly sanitize external input.

References

• NVD — CVE-2026-103848: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-103848
• CWE-78 — Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/78.html
• Adobe Security Bulletins (monitor for AEM advisory): https://helpx.adobe.com/security/security-bulletin.html
• MITRE ATT&CK T1190 — Exploit Public-Facing Application: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1190/
• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog No threat actor campaigns or exploit-in-the-wild evidence are associated with this CVE in the provided data.