CVE-2008-1765 in Photoshop
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition 3.2, and possibly After Effects CS3, allows user-assisted remote attackers and physically proximate attackers to execute arbitrary code via a BMP file with an invalid image header. NOTE: the related issue in Photoshop CS3 is already covered by CVE-2007-2244.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-1765 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw affecting Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition 3.2 and potentially Adobe After Effects CS3 applications. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the software's image processing routines, specifically when handling BMP (Bitmap) file formats. The flaw manifests when the application attempts to parse malformed BMP headers without proper bounds checking, creating opportunities for malicious code execution. The vulnerability's classification as a user-assisted remote attack indicates that exploitation requires some form of user interaction or physical proximity, making it particularly concerning for environments where users may encounter untrusted content.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs at the memory management level where the application allocates fixed-size buffers to store image header information but fails to validate the actual size of incoming data. When processing a specially crafted BMP file with an invalid image header, the application writes more data into the allocated buffer than it can accommodate, causing adjacent memory locations to be overwritten. This memory corruption can be leveraged by attackers to redirect program execution flow, potentially allowing them to inject and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. The vulnerability's impact is exacerbated by the fact that BMP files are commonly used multimedia formats, making them an attractive vector for exploitation in various attack scenarios.
The operational implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple code execution, as it can lead to complete system compromise when exploited successfully. Attackers leveraging this flaw can potentially gain unauthorized access to systems, escalate privileges, and establish persistent backdoors through the executed malicious code. The vulnerability affects not only individual user workstations but also enterprise environments where these applications are commonly deployed for photo editing and multimedia production tasks. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition and After Effects CS3 face significant risk of compromise, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted BMP files through email attachments, web downloads, or shared network resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching and application updates to address the underlying buffer overflow conditions. Adobe released security updates for affected versions that include proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms to prevent the overflow from occurring. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these patches across all affected systems while implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting, file type restrictions, and user education regarding safe file handling practices. Network-level defenses including intrusion detection systems and email filtering can help prevent exploitation attempts by blocking suspicious BMP files. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and may also relate to ATT&CK technique T1059 for executing malicious code through compromised applications, making it a significant concern for organizations following standard cybersecurity frameworks and threat modeling practices.