CVE-2025-47134: Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability in InDesign Desktop

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.