CVE-2019-7982 in Photoshop CC
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Photoshop CC versions 19.1.8 and earlier and 20.0.5 and earlier have an out of bound write vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2020
Adobe Photoshop applications suffer from a critical out-of-bounds write vulnerability that affects versions 19.1.8 and earlier, as well as 20.0.5 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of specific image file formats and represents a classic buffer overflow condition where maliciously crafted input data can cause the program to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. The flaw occurs during the parsing of malformed image files, particularly those with crafted metadata or embedded structures that trigger improper memory management within the application's image processing engine.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the CWE-787 category of out-of-bounds write conditions, which is a well-documented weakness in software security that enables attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. When exploited, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target system with the privileges of the user running Photoshop. The attack vector typically involves tricking the user into opening a maliciously crafted image file, which then triggers the vulnerable code path during file parsing. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be delivered through common image file formats such as psd, tiff, or jpeg, making it highly accessible to threat actors.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for users who regularly handle image files from untrusted sources or encounter compromised digital assets in their workflow. The exploitability of this vulnerability means that attackers can potentially gain complete control over affected systems without requiring additional privileges or complex attack chains. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with attack patterns described in the attack technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation could lead to command execution capabilities. Organizations using Photoshop in professional environments where image files are frequently exchanged or received from external sources face heightened risk exposure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected versions to the latest available releases from Adobe. System administrators should implement strict file validation processes for image files received from external sources and consider deploying sandboxing solutions for image processing activities. Network-based mitigations such as email filtering and web proxy restrictions can help prevent users from encountering malicious image files. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security awareness training for users handling image files can reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software security patches and highlights the critical nature of image processing libraries in enterprise security architectures.