Adobe Illustrator, Use After Free, CVE-2025-21159 (Critical)

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How the Mentioned CVE Works:

CVE-2025-21159 is a critical Use After Free (UAF) vulnerability affecting Adobe Illustrator versions 29.1, 28.7.3, and earlier. This vulnerability occurs when the software attempts to access a memory location after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior. An attacker can exploit this by crafting a malicious file that, when opened by a victim, triggers the UAF condition. This allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user, potentially leading to full system compromise. Exploitation requires user interaction, as the victim must open the malicious file.

DailyCVE Form:

Platform: Adobe Illustrator

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Version: 29.1, 28.7.3 and earlier

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Vulnerability: Use After Free

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Severity: Critical

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Date: 02/11/2025

What Undercode Say:

Exploitation:

  1. Malicious File Creation: An attacker crafts a specially designed `.ai` or `.eps` file to trigger the UAF vulnerability.
  2. User Interaction: The victim opens the malicious file in Adobe Illustrator.
  3. Arbitrary Code Execution: The UAF condition is triggered, allowing the attacker to execute code in the context of the current user.

Protection:

  1. Update Software: Ensure Adobe Illustrator is updated to the latest version beyond 29.1 or 28.7.3.
  2. Disable Macros: Disable automatic execution of scripts or macros in Illustrator.
  3. File Restriction: Avoid opening files from untrusted sources.

Commands:

1. Check Version:

  • Windows: `Get-Command “C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator\Illustrator.exe” | fl `
  • macOS: `mdls -name kMDItemVersion /Applications/Adobe\ Illustrator/Adobe\ Illustrator.app`

2. Patch Verification:

  • Visit Adobe’s official security bulletin for patch details.

Code:

1. PoC (Proof of Concept):

Example of crafting a malicious file (for educational purposes only)
with open("malicious.ai", "wb") as f:
f.write(b"\x41" 1024) Example payload

2. Detection Script:

Check for vulnerable versions
if [[ "$(illustrator --version)" =~ "29.1|28.7.3" ]]; then
echo "Vulnerable version detected. Update immediately."
else
echo "No vulnerable version detected."
fi

URLs:

  1. Adobe Security Bulletin: https://helpx.adobe.com/security.html
  2. CVE Details: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21159
  3. Mitre CVE Entry: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2025-21159

Analytics:

  • CVSS Score: 9.8 (Critical)
  • Attack Vector: Network (via malicious file)
  • Impact: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability
  • Exploitability: High (requires user interaction)

By following these steps, users can mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-21159 and protect their systems from potential exploitation.

References:

Reported By: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21159
Extra Source Hub:
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Image Source:

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