CVE-2021-40784 in Premiere Rush
Summary
by MITRE • 12/21/2021
Adobe Premiere Rush version 1.5.16 (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 to exploit this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2021
Adobe Premiere Rush version 1.5.16 and earlier versions contain a memory corruption vulnerability classified as CVE-2021-40784 that arises from insecure handling of malicious WAV file inputs. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 CWE category for buffer overflow conditions and represents a critical security flaw that can lead to arbitrary code execution when exploited. The vulnerability occurs during the processing of audio files where the application fails to properly validate and sanitize WAV file structures before parsing them into memory buffers.
The technical flaw manifests when the application attempts to load and process a specially crafted malicious WAV file that contains malformed data structures or oversized metadata fields. This insecure handling allows an attacker to manipulate memory layout and potentially overwrite critical program structures or execute malicious code within the context of the current user account. The vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited, meaning that a victim must open or import the malicious file into the application for the attack to succeed.
This memory corruption vulnerability presents significant operational impact as it enables attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution on affected systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack vector through media file processing aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code. The user interaction requirement reduces the attack surface compared to fully automated exploits but still poses a substantial risk in environments where users frequently process multimedia content.
The vulnerability affects users who regularly work with audio files and may be targeted through social engineering campaigns distributing malicious WAV files disguised as legitimate audio content. Organizations should implement strict file validation policies and ensure all users maintain up-to-date software versions. The recommended mitigation includes immediate patching to Adobe Premiere Rush version 1.5.17 or later, which contains fixes for this memory corruption vulnerability. Additionally, security awareness training should emphasize the importance of verifying file sources and avoiding opening suspicious audio files, particularly those received through untrusted channels.