Author: Ameeba

Overview

A significant vulnerability, CVE-2025-49527, has been identified in popular vector graphics software Illustrator, affecting versions 28.7.6 and 29.5.1 and earlier. This vulnerability is a stack-based buffer overflow that could potentially lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. The implications of such a vulnerability are severe, as a successful exploit could lead to system compromise or data leakage, hence posing a substantial threat to system integrity and data privacy. Given Illustrator’s wide user base, this vulnerability is of significant concern in the cybersecurity community.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-49527
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Arbitrary code execution leading to potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Illustrator | 28.7.6 and earlier
Illustrator | 29.5.1 and earlier

How the Exploit Works

The exploit leverages a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Illustrator. A buffer overflow occurs when more data is written to a block of memory, or buffer, than it can hold. In this case, an attacker would craft a malicious file that, when opened by the victim, would cause Illustrator to write beyond the end of a buffer located on the stack. This overflow can overwrite other important data on the stack, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.

Conceptual Example Code

Below is a simplified conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. The attacker crafts a file that contains an overly long string of data. When the file is opened in Illustrator, the buffer is overflowed, and the attacker’s malicious code is executed.

# This is a conceptual code snippet, not actual exploit code
def create_malicious_file(filename):
buffer = "A" * 5000  # An overly long string of data
malicious_code = "\x90" * 1000  # NOP sled
malicious_code += "\xcc" * 400  # INT3 instructions to cause a software breakpoint
with open(filename, 'w') as f:
f.write(buffer + malicious_code)
create_malicious_file("malicious_file.ai")

Note that the above code does not represent an actual exploit; it is a simplified conceptual example. Actual exploit code would be far more complex and would need to be specifically crafted to target the vulnerable versions of Illustrator.

Overview

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, new vulnerabilities emerge continuously, and CVE-2025-49526 is a prime example. This serious vulnerability affects Illustrator versions 28.7.6, 29.5.1, and earlier. It’s an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous as it can potentially lead to system compromise or data leakage, posing a significant risk to both individuals and businesses using the affected Illustrator versions.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-49526
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Arbitrary code execution leading to potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Illustrator | 28.7.6 and earlier
Illustrator | 29.5.1 and earlier

How the Exploit Works

The CVE-2025-49526 vulnerability is a classic example of an out-of-bounds write vulnerability. This type of vulnerability occurs when the software writes data outside the bounds of allocated memory. It can lead to the corruption of relevant memory and potentially to arbitrary code execution. In this case, an attacker could craft a malicious file which, when opened by a victim, exploits the vulnerability to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. This could potentially lead to a full system compromise or data leakage.

Conceptual Example Code

To illustrate how this vulnerability might be exploited, consider the following conceptual example. An attacker crafts an Illustrator file that contains a malicious payload designed to exploit the vulnerability. Note that this is a conceptual example and does not represent a real exploit.

def create_malicious_file():
data = "..."  # Data that triggers the out-of-bounds write
exploit = "..."  # Exploit code to execute when the vulnerability is triggered
file = open("malicious.ai", "wb")
file.write(data + exploit)
file.close()
create_malicious_file()

In this example, the create_malicious_file function writes data that triggers the out-of-bounds write, followed by the exploit code to execute once the vulnerability is triggered. The result is a malicious Illustrator file that, when opened, could exploit the vulnerability and execute the arbitrary code.

Mitigation Guidance

To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as temporary mitigation, helping to detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Regular monitoring of security advisories and prompt application of security patches are always recommended practices in maintaining a secure environment.

Overview

The cybersecurity landscape is a constantly evolving field, with new vulnerabilities discovered regularly. One such vulnerability is CVE-2025-47134, which poses a significant threat to users of Adobe’s InDesign Desktop software, specifically versions 19.5.3 and earlier. This vulnerability is a Heap-Based Buffer Overflow issue that could potentially lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user, posing a serious threat to system integrity and data security.
Heap-Based Buffer Overflow vulnerabilities are not uncommon in software and can lead to severe consequences if left unpatched. InDesign Desktop, being a popular software used by graphic designers and publishers worldwide, has a large user base, making this vulnerability particularly concerning.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-47134
Severity: High (CVSS Score: 7.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

InDesign Desktop | 19.5.3 and earlier

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability stems from a Heap-Based Buffer Overflow error within the InDesign Desktop software. This error occurs when a buffer, a temporary area for data storage, receives more data than it was designed to hold. This overflow can overwrite adjacent memory spaces, potentially leading to erratic software behavior, system crashes, and in some cases, arbitrary code execution.
In the case of CVE-2025-47134, an attacker could craft a malicious file that, when opened by a user, triggers the buffer overflow. As a result, this could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code within the context of the current user. This exploit requires user interaction, specifically opening the malicious file, making it a socially engineered attack.

Conceptual Example Code

Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This pseudocode represents a malicious payload that could trigger the buffer overflow:

# Pseudocode for a malicious payload
buffer = "A" * 5000  # Creating a buffer that exceeds the expected size
file = open("malicious.idml", "w")  # Creating a malicious InDesign file
file.write(buffer)  # Writing the buffer to the file
file.close()  # Closing the file

In this example, an excessively large buffer is written to a file designed to be opened with InDesign Desktop. When a user opens this file, it would trigger a buffer overflow, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.

Overview

The vulnerability, officially designated as CVE-2025-47103, poses a significant threat to users of InDesign Desktop versions 19.5.3 and earlier. This vulnerability, a Heap-based Buffer Overflow, could lead to arbitrary code execution, potentially compromising the system or leading to data leakage. It primarily affects graphic designers, publishers, and other professionals reliant on Adobe’s InDesign software, who may unknowingly become victims of cyber attacks if they inadvertently open a malicious file.
This vulnerability matters because of the potential for a skilled attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. It’s notable that the severity of this vulnerability is elevated due to the required user interaction, which is a common point of exploit for cyber attackers.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-47103
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.8)
Attack Vector: Opening a malicious file
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

InDesign Desktop | 19.5.3 and earlier

How the Exploit Works

The exploit takes advantage of a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in InDesign Desktop. In essence, an attacker would craft a malicious file that, when opened in the vulnerable software, overflows the software’s buffer – a temporary storage for data. This overflow can corrupt nearby memory spaces, allowing the attacker to manipulate the software’s execution flow and run arbitrary code.

Conceptual Example Code

The actual exploit would be highly dependent on the specifics of the vulnerability, which are not disclosed here for security reasons. However, conceptually, an attacker might craft a malicious `.indd` file (InDesign Document) with more data than expected, resulting in a buffer overflow.

# Conceptual malicious file creation
with open('malicious_document.indd', 'wb') as f:
# Overflow buffer with excessively large data
f.write(b'\x90' * BUFFER_SIZE + SHELLCODE)

Remediation

Users are recommended to apply the vendor-provided patch as soon as possible to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability. In the meantime, or if patches cannot be applied immediately, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary protection by detecting and blocking attempts to exploit this vulnerability.