CVE-2024-20766 in InDesign Desktop
Summary
by MITRE • 04/10/2024
InDesign Desktop versions 18.5.1, 19.2 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 • 04/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-20766 represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw affecting Adobe InDesign Desktop versions 18.5.1 and 19.2, along with earlier releases in the 18.x and 19.x series. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that can occur when software attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The flaw manifests within the InDesign application's file parsing mechanisms, where improper input validation allows maliciously crafted files to trigger memory access violations that extend beyond intended buffer limits.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user interaction model where an unsuspecting victim must open a specifically crafted malicious file within the InDesign application. This interaction-based attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes the use of malicious files to gain initial access to target systems. When the vulnerable application processes the malicious file, the out-of-bounds read operation can expose sensitive memory contents including stack canaries, heap metadata, and other security-relevant information that may be stored in adjacent memory locations. This memory disclosure capability directly undermines modern exploit mitigations, particularly Address Space Layout Randomization ASLR which relies on memory layout unpredictability to prevent successful exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the memory contents potentially exposed could include pointers, function addresses, and other data structures that would significantly aid an attacker in developing more sophisticated exploitation techniques. The exposure of such sensitive memory information can effectively neutralize ASLR protections by revealing memory layout details that would otherwise be randomized. This vulnerability represents a significant concern for organizations that may inadvertently process untrusted InDesign files, particularly in environments where users receive files from external sources or where automated processing of design files occurs. The vulnerability's presence in multiple minor versions indicates a persistent flaw in the application's input handling that has not been adequately addressed in the affected release series.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of Adobe's official security patches for InDesign Desktop versions 18.5.1 and 19.2, while simultaneously implementing defensive measures such as restricting user access to potentially malicious files and employing file validation mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing proper input validation controls to prevent exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities that can lead to privilege escalation or complete system compromise. Security teams should also consider monitoring for potential exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems that can identify anomalous file processing behaviors associated with this class of vulnerability.