CVE-2021-44192 in After Effects
Summary
by MITRE • 09/07/2023
Adobe After Effects versions 22.0 (and earlier) and 18.4.2 (and earlier) are affected by an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that could lead to disclosure of sensitive memory. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to bypass mitigations such as ASLR. 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 • 04/22/2025
Adobe After Effects is a professional video editing and compositing application widely used in creative industries for producing visual effects and animations. The vulnerability CVE-2021-44192 represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw that affects versions 22.0 and earlier, as well as 18.4.2 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation during file processing operations, specifically when handling malformed or specially crafted project files. The flaw manifests when the application attempts to read memory locations beyond the bounds of allocated buffers, potentially exposing sensitive data from the application's memory space. According to CWE-129, this vulnerability falls under the category of improper validation of array index, which is a fundamental security weakness that can lead to information disclosure and privilege escalation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be leveraged to bypass modern exploit mitigations such as address space layout randomization, which is a critical defense mechanism that randomizes memory layout to prevent exploitation. Attackers can craft malicious After Effects project files that trigger this out-of-bounds read condition when opened by an unsuspecting user. The exploitation requires social engineering to convince victims to open the malicious file, making this a user-interaction dependent vulnerability. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to creative studios and media production companies that rely heavily on Adobe After Effects for their workflows. The potential for information disclosure means that attackers could extract sensitive data including encryption keys, user credentials, or proprietary project information that might be stored in memory during processing. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as the ability to bypass ASLR represents a substantial compromise to the application's security posture. Security researchers have documented that this type of vulnerability often serves as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, where the initial information disclosure provides attackers with the memory layout information needed to craft more effective exploits. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers might use the disclosed memory information to develop more targeted attacks. Organizations using affected versions of Adobe After Effects should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to patched versions, implementing strict file validation procedures, and deploying network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper bounds checking in multimedia applications that process complex file formats. Given the widespread use of After Effects in professional environments, this vulnerability represents a significant threat that requires immediate attention from security teams responsible for protecting creative industry workloads. The remediation process involves not only patching the application but also educating users about the risks of opening untrusted project files and implementing robust security controls around file handling processes.