Overview
The cybersecurity landscape has yet again been hit by a critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-54207, affecting Adobe’s InDesign Desktop software versions 20.4, 19.5.4, and earlier. This vulnerability exposes a system to the risk of arbitrary code execution, which could lead to potential system compromise or data leakage. The severity of this vulnerability is underscored by its CVSS Severity Score of 7.8, highlighting the crucial need for immediate attention and mitigation.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-54207
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: User
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Arbitrary code execution, potential system compromise, and data leakage.
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
InDesign Desktop | 20.4 and earlier
InDesign Desktop | 19.5.4 and earlier
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability is due to an uninitialized pointer in InDesign Desktop software. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. This means they could potentially compromise the system, manipulate data, or even create new accounts with full user rights. The successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a victim to open a malicious file, indicating that social engineering or deceptive practices might be used as part of the attack.
Conceptual Example Code
While a specific exploit code is not available, the malicious activity could take a form similar to this pseudocode:
class MaliciousFile:
def __init__(self):
self.file_content = "<insert malicious code here>"
def open(self, design_software):
uninitialized_pointer = design_software.get_uninitialized_pointer()
uninitialized_pointer.execute(self.file_content)
malicious_file = MaliciousFile()
malicious_file.open(indesign_desktop)In this pseudocode, a malicious file is created and opened in the vulnerable software. This action triggers the execution of malicious code via the uninitialized pointer, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution and other serious impacts.
Mitigation
To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, using Web Application Firewalls (WAF) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) could serve as temporary mitigations. However, these should not replace patching as they may not fully protect against all potential exploitation techniques. Regular system and software updates, along with vigilant cybersecurity practices, remain the most effective defense against such threats.
