{"id":82886,"date":"2025-10-15T21:40:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T21:40:15","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-10-28T11:37:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T17:37:15","slug":"cve-2025-54211-heap-based-buffer-overflow-vulnerability-in-indesign-desktop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameeba.com\/blog\/cve-2025-54211-heap-based-buffer-overflow-vulnerability-in-indesign-desktop\/","title":{"rendered":"CVE-2025-54211: Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability in InDesign Desktop<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats, one vulnerability that has recently caught the attention of cybersecurity professionals worldwide is CVE-2025-54211. This flaw is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that affects InDesign Desktop versions 20.4, 19.5.4 and earlier. If exploited, this vulnerability could lead to arbitrary code execution<\/a> in the context of the current user. This means that an attacker could potentially gain control over an affected system<\/a>, posing a significant threat to data confidentiality and integrity.
\nThis vulnerability is particularly alarming because it requires user<\/a> interaction, meaning that an attacker could exploit this flaw if a victim opens a malicious file. Therefore, it is crucial for both individual users and organizations using the affected versions of InDesign Desktop to understand this vulnerability<\/a> and take the necessary steps to mitigate it.<\/p>\n

Vulnerability Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

CVE ID: CVE-2025-54211
\nSeverity: High (CVSS: 7.8)
\nAttack Vector: Local
\nPrivileges Required: None
\nUser Interaction: Required
\nImpact: Potential system<\/a> compromise and data leakage<\/p>\n

Affected Products<\/strong><\/p>\n

Product | Affected Versions<\/p>\n

InDesign Desktop | 20.4 and earlier
\nInDesign Desktop | 19.5.4 and earlier<\/p>\n

How the Exploit Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

The heap-based buffer overflow<\/a> vulnerability (CVE-2025-54211) occurs when the application fails to properly handle the input data size when processing certain files. This can cause the application’s buffer, a temporary data storage area, to overflow, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary code<\/a> in the context of the user running the application.
\nIn order to exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to trick a user into opening a maliciously crafted file using an affected version of InDesign Desktop<\/a>. This could be achieved through various means such as social engineering or phishing emails. Once the malicious file is opened, the buffer overflow<\/a> would occur, allowing the attacker to execute code and potentially gain control over the system.<\/p>\n

Conceptual Example Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

Below is a conceptual example of a malformed file that could be used to exploit this vulnerability<\/a>. The malicious payload would be embedded within the file.<\/p>\n

$ cat > exploit.idml << EOF\n\n\n\nMalicious_payload<\/Content>\n<\/Story>\nEOF<\/code><\/pre>\n
Overview In the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats, one vulnerability that has recently caught the attention of cybersecurity professionals worldwide is CVE-2025-54211. This flaw is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that affects InDesign Desktop versions 20.4, 19.5.4 and earlier. If exploited, this vulnerability could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"vendor":[],"product":[],"attack_vector":[86,80],"asset_type":[],"severity":[],"exploit_status":[],"class_list":["post-82886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","attack_vector-buffer-overflow","attack_vector-rce"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
In this example, the ‘Malicious_payload’ would be crafted to cause a buffer overflow<\/a> when the file is opened in an affected version of InDesign Desktop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"