CVE-2021-40754 in After Effects
Summary
by MITRE • 11/18/2021
Adobe After Effects version 18.4.1 (and earlier) is affected by a memory corruption vulnerability due to insecure handling of a malicious WAV file, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. User interaction is required in that the victim must open a specially crafted file to exploit this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2025
Adobe After Effects version 18.4.1 and earlier contains a memory corruption vulnerability classified as CVE-2021-40754 that arises from insecure handling of malicious WAV audio files. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems when users open specifically crafted malicious files. The issue stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of audio file headers and data structures during the parsing process, creating opportunities for memory corruption that can be exploited to gain unauthorized system access. The vulnerability falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds writes, both of which are common attack vectors in multimedia processing applications. The attack requires user interaction, making it a targeted exploit that depends on social engineering to convince victims to open malicious files, though this requirement does not mitigate the severity of the potential impact.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when After Effects attempts to parse WAV file metadata and audio data without proper bounds checking or input validation. When processing malformed or maliciously constructed WAV files, the application fails to properly validate array indices or buffer sizes, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory locations. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in creative software environments where users frequently open files from untrusted sources, creating an attack surface that extends beyond traditional software exploitation vectors. The memory corruption can manifest as stack overflow, heap corruption, or pointer manipulation that ultimately allows attackers to control program execution flow and inject malicious code into the running process.
From an operational impact perspective, successful exploitation of CVE-2021-40754 can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user. This vulnerability is particularly concerning for creative professionals who regularly work with multimedia files, as they may inadvertently open malicious files during routine workflow operations. The attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers command and scripting interpreter execution through legitimate system utilities, and T1203, which describes legitimate user execution of malicious files. Organizations using Adobe After Effects in professional environments face significant risk, as the vulnerability can be exploited through various attack scenarios including phishing campaigns, compromised software distribution channels, or malicious file sharing platforms commonly used in creative workflows.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-40754 should prioritize immediate software updates to Adobe After Effects version 18.5.0 or later, which contain patches addressing the memory corruption issues. System administrators should implement strict file validation policies and consider deploying sandboxing solutions to isolate multimedia processing activities from critical system functions. Network-based protections such as content filtering and email scanning should be enhanced to detect and block potentially malicious WAV files before they reach end users. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of only opening files from trusted sources and maintaining current software versions. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual file processing patterns and memory access violations that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in multimedia applications, particularly regarding input validation and memory management, as highlighted in industry standards such as the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines for secure software development practices.