CVE-2021-28604 in After Effects
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2021
Adobe After Effects version 18.2 (and earlier) is affected by a Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability when parsing a specially crafted file. An unauthenticated attacker could leverage this vulnerability to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2025
Adobe After Effects version 18.2 and earlier contains a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that represents a critical security flaw in the software's file parsing mechanism. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of specially crafted files during the parsing process, where insufficient bounds checking allows an attacker to write beyond the allocated memory buffer. The flaw manifests when the application attempts to process malformed input data, specifically within the memory management routines that handle file structures and content parsing. The vulnerability is classified as a heap-based buffer overflow, which means that the overflow occurs in heap-allocated memory rather than stack memory, making it particularly challenging to detect and exploit. According to the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) catalog, this vulnerability maps to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows a buffer overflow to occur in heap memory. The security implications extend beyond simple memory corruption as the vulnerability can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious file, effectively enabling remote code execution attacks. The exploitation requires user interaction, meaning that a victim must willingly open the crafted file, but once opened, the malicious code can execute with the privileges of the current user. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios where social engineering might be employed to trick users into opening malicious files. The vulnerability exists in the file parsing logic of After Effects, which processes various file formats including project files, media assets, and plugin configurations. When the application encounters malformed data structures within these files, the insufficient input validation causes the heap memory allocation to be exceeded, leading to memory corruption that can be manipulated by attackers to inject and execute malicious code. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that After Effects is commonly used in professional creative environments where users frequently open files from various sources, including third-party collaborators, online repositories, or downloaded assets. This vulnerability directly maps to the attack technique described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1203, which involves legitimate user interaction to execute malicious code, and T1059, which covers the execution of commands through various interfaces. The impact of this vulnerability extends to both the confidentiality and integrity of the affected system, as successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise. Organizations using Adobe After Effects in professional environments face significant risk, particularly in sectors where creative assets are frequently shared and collaborated upon, as these environments provide multiple attack vectors for delivery of malicious files. The vulnerability affects all versions of After Effects up to and including version 18.2, making it a widespread concern for creative professionals who may not always maintain the latest software updates. The heap-based nature of the buffer overflow also means that the memory corruption can potentially lead to information disclosure or system instability, making it a multi-faceted threat that requires immediate attention and remediation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires careful crafting of the malicious file to ensure that the buffer overflow occurs in a predictable manner, allowing for the execution of shellcode or other malicious payloads. Attackers typically leverage the predictable memory layout of heap allocations to overwrite function pointers or return addresses, enabling code execution control. The vulnerability's requirement for user interaction creates a significant challenge for automated exploitation, as it necessitates social engineering or other delivery mechanisms to convince users to open the malicious files. This requirement also means that organizations can mitigate the risk through user education and security awareness training, teaching personnel to avoid opening suspicious files from untrusted sources. The remediation approach involves updating to Adobe After Effects version 18.3 or later, which includes patches that address the heap-based buffer overflow through improved bounds checking and memory management routines. Additionally, implementing file validation policies, network-based security controls, and regular security updates can help reduce the risk exposure. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques and privilege separation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability allows execution with the privileges of the current user account. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in creative software applications, where complex file formats and extensive parsing logic can create numerous potential attack vectors. Security researchers and organizations should monitor for similar vulnerabilities in other creative software applications, as the complexity of media processing and file format handling often creates similar security challenges. The incident highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of file parsing components and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for professional creative software used in enterprise environments.