CVE-2011-2131 in Creative Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Photoshop 12.0 in Creative Suite 5 (CS5) and 12.1 in Creative Suite 5.1 (CS5.1) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted GIF file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2025
Adobe Photoshop versions 12.0 and 12.1 suffer from a critical memory corruption vulnerability that arises from improper handling of malformed GIF image files during the parsing process. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the software's image processing engine, specifically when processing the Graphics Interchange Format file structure. The flaw exists in the way Photoshop interprets and processes certain metadata fields and image data sequences within GIF files, leading to buffer overflows or heap corruption that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or trigger denial of service conditions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a maliciously crafted GIF file is opened or processed by the affected Photoshop versions. The vulnerability manifests as a classic buffer overflow condition where attacker-controlled data exceeds the allocated memory space during image decompression or parsing operations. This type of memory corruption vulnerability maps to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read conditions. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be delivered through web-based attacks or email attachments without requiring user interaction beyond opening the file, making it a prime target for social engineering campaigns.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to creative professionals and organizations that rely on Adobe Creative Suite for their workflow. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to systems running vulnerable Photoshop versions, potentially leading to complete system compromise through privilege escalation or lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability affects not only individual workstations but also enterprise environments where Photoshop is used extensively for digital asset management and creative production. Organizations may face data breaches, system downtime, and potential regulatory compliance issues if exploited successfully.
The remediation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate application of Adobe's security patches and updates to Photoshop CS5 and CS5.1 installations. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive the necessary security updates. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network-based security controls such as web application firewalls and email filtering solutions to prevent the delivery of malicious GIF files. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which focuses on exploiting software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation, and T1059, which addresses execution through various attack vectors including file-based exploits. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for image processing and restricting user access to potentially malicious file formats until full security updates are deployed across all systems.