CVE-2015-3109 in Photoshop CC
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Photoshop CC before 16.0 (aka 2015.0.0) allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2022
Adobe Photoshop CC version 16.0 and earlier contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability represents a significant security flaw in the image processing software that has been widely exploited in the cybersecurity landscape. The memory corruption issue stems from improper handling of malformed input data during the processing of specific file formats, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures and gain unauthorized system access. The vulnerability affects multiple operating systems including windows macos and linux platforms where the affected software is installed. Security researchers have identified that the flaw occurs during the parsing of certain image file headers and metadata fields, where insufficient bounds checking and validation allows attackers to craft malicious files that trigger buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions within the application memory space. This type of vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as cwe-121 heap-based buffer overflow and cwe-476 null pointer dereference patterns that frequently appear in multimedia processing applications. The attack surface extends beyond simple code execution to include privilege escalation scenarios where attackers might leverage the vulnerability to gain elevated system privileges. From an operational perspective this vulnerability poses severe risks to organizations that rely heavily on image editing workflows, particularly those handling untrusted image files from external sources or web applications. The exploitability of this vulnerability has been documented in various threat intelligence reports where adversaries have developed automated tools to target the specific memory corruption patterns. The denial of service aspect of this vulnerability can manifest as application crashes or system instability, which can be particularly damaging in professional environments where image processing workflows are critical to business operations. Organizations utilizing affected versions of adobe photoshop should immediately implement mitigation strategies including disabling support for vulnerable file formats, implementing strict file validation procedures, and maintaining updated security patches. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of application sandboxing and privilege separation techniques that can limit the impact of successful exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and user access controls should be enhanced to prevent unauthorized file uploads or downloads that could introduce malicious content into the environment. The security community has classified this vulnerability as high severity due to its potential for remote code execution and the widespread use of adobe photoshop across enterprise networks. Industry standards such as the mitre attack framework categorize this type of vulnerability under initial access and execution phases where attackers leverage software flaws to establish persistent access to target systems. Organizations should also consider implementing extended detection and response capabilities to monitor for unusual memory access patterns or file processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical need for regular security updates and patch management processes, particularly for widely used productivity software that handles complex file formats and data structures.