CVE-2025-54221: Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability in InCopy Allowing for Arbitrary Code Execution

Overview

The CVE-2025-54221 vulnerability is a critical issue that affects InCopy versions 20.4, 19.5.4, and earlier. This vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write issue that potentially allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the victim’s context. The severity of this issue is emphasized by the fact that a successful exploit could result in system compromise or data leakage. It’s essential for users and IT administrators to understand this vulnerability and take immediate steps to mitigate the risk it poses.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-54221
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

InCopy | 20.4 and earlier
InCopy | 19.5.4 and earlier

How the Exploit Works

The exploitation of CVE-2025-54221 involves the abuse of an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in InCopy. This vulnerability allows an attacker to write data outside the expected boundaries of allocated memory, potentially leading to the execution of arbitrary code. The exploit requires user interaction, specifically the victim must open a malicious file. Once the file is opened, the attacker can execute code in the context of the current user, potentially gaining unauthorized access or causing data leakage.

Conceptual Example Code

While the exact code to exploit this vulnerability could vary depending on the specific target, an example of how this might look is as follows:

# Attacker prepares a malicious InCopy file
echo "malicious_payload" > malicious.icml
# Attacker sends the malicious file to the victim
mail -s "Important Document" victim@example.com < malicious.icml

In this example, the attacker creates a malicious InCopy file and sends it to the victim via email. If the victim opens this malicious file with a vulnerable version of InCopy, the arbitrary code embedded within the file would be executed, potentially compromising the system or causing data leakage.

Mitigation Guidance

To mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-54221, users should apply the vendor-provided patch as soon as it is available. In the meantime, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used to detect and potentially block exploitation attempts. Regularly updating and patching software is one of the most effective ways to protect against such vulnerabilities.