AEM
• 4 min read • Infiniumtek Team

What's New in AEM? A Summary of the Latest Updates (November 2025)

Stay current with the latest AEM updates. This summary covers AEM as a Cloud Service, AEM 6.5 Standard, and AEM 6.5 LTS releases from November 2025, including Java 21 support, accessibility improvements, and security enhancements.

#aem #aem-6.5 #aem-cloud #updates #releases

By Infinium Technologies Read Time: ~5 Minutes

Keeping your digital experience platform up to date is critical for security, performance, and access to the latest features. It is important to note that AEM 6.5 Standard and AEM 6.5 LTS follow different release cadences and feature sets.

Here is your quick digest of the latest updates for each platform.

1. AEM as a Cloud Service (Release 2025.11.0)

Release Date: November 20, 2025

The cloud platform continues its monthly innovation cadence with significant updates to its foundation and Forms capabilities.

Key Infrastructure & Foundation Changes

  • Java 21 Runtime Upgrade: Stage and Production environments have been upgraded to Java 21. Note that Java 11 support is being deprecated; support will end in late January 2025.
  • Log Configuration Enforcement: Custom log configurations will be ignored starting December 10, 2025.

New Features & Betas

  • Forms Enhancements: Includes “Template Locking” for brand consistency, in-browser XDP file editing, and better content overflow support.
  • Beta Programs: New betas for Edge Computing (executing JavaScript at the CDN layer) and AI Answers (RAG-powered search).

Read the AEM Cloud Service Release Notes

2. AEM 6.5 Standard (Service Pack 24)

Version: 6.5.24.0 Release Date: November 26, 2025

For customers on the Standard release track, Service Pack 24 brings a massive wave of stability fixes, specifically targeting accessibility compliance and backend security.

Update Highlights

  • Accessibility & Usability Overhaul (Sites): This release includes extensive updates to ensure WCAG 2.1 compliance.
    • Keyboard Navigation: Full keyboard support has been restored for critical UI elements, including the “Switch display format” dialog, ContextHub buttons, and the Filters rail.
    • Assistive Technology: Improved screen reader announcements for search results, loading states, and side rails to ensure a seamless authoring experience for all users.
    • Responsive Fixes: UI elements now remain fully visible and usable at high zoom levels (400%) and on small viewports (320px).
  • Assets & Workflow Stability:
    • Sorting Fixes: Resolved critical issues where sorting folders by “Modification Date” in Card View would fail, making it difficult to locate recently modified assets.
    • Sync Accuracy: Fixed a synchronization bug where assets from a remote DAM would incorrectly display a “Not Published” status on the local Sites instance.
  • Forms Security & Infrastructure:
    • Struts Upgrade: The underlying Struts library has been upgraded to version 6.x, addressing multiple security vulnerabilities and ensuring smoother performance.
    • Upgrade Stability: Patched JSP compilation errors that were blocking users from upgrading to newer Service Packs.

Read the AEM 6.5 Release Notes

3. AEM 6.5 LTS (Long Term Support)

Current Version: LTS Service Pack 1 (6.5.LTS.SP1) Release Date: August 28, 2025

Note: The LTS track does not consume the standard Service Pack 24. Instead, it operates on a separate, stabilized baseline. The current active release is LTS Service Pack 1, which introduces major infrastructure modernizations.

LTS Update Highlights

  • Native Java 21 & 17 Support: AEM 6.5 LTS SP1 brings full support for Java 21 (and Java 17), offering significant performance improvements (ZGC garbage collection, faster startup) and long-term security compliance.
  • Modernized Codebase & Security: This release removes legacy dependencies to reduce vulnerabilities.
    • Library Removals: The Guava library and Commons Collections 3.x have been removed from the baseline. Custom code relying on these must be refactored to use standard Java APIs or updated libraries.
    • Upgraded Stack: Includes updates to the Jetty servlet engine and Jackson libraries to meet modern security standards.
  • Stability Baseline: LTS SP1 consolidates the stability fixes from AEM 6.5 Service Pack 22, serving as the new “master” baseline for future LTS patches.
  • Next Scheduled Update: The next major LTS update (LTS Service Pack 2) is currently targeted for February 2026.

Read the AEM 6.5 LTS Release Notes

Need Help Navigating These Updates?

Whether you need to clarify your upgrade path between Standard and LTS, migrate to the Cloud, or optimize your platform’s performance, Infinium Technologies is here to assist.

Our team specializes in Adobe Experience Manager solutions tailored to your business needs.

Need Help with Your AEM Environment?

Whether you're planning an upgrade, need ongoing support, or want to optimize your AEM performance, we're here to help. Let's discuss your specific needs.

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