CVE-2024-20770 in Photoshop Desktop
Summary
by MITRE • 04/10/2024
Photoshop Desktop versions 24.7.2, 25.3.1 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
This vulnerability affects Adobe Photoshop Desktop versions 24.7.2, 25.3.1, and earlier, representing a critical out-of-bounds read flaw that exposes sensitive memory contents to potential attackers. The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking within the application's file parsing routines, specifically when processing malformed or maliciously crafted image files. Such out-of-bounds read conditions occur when the application attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, potentially exposing adjacent memory segments containing sensitive data such as stack canaries, heap metadata, or cryptographic keys. This flaw operates at the memory management level and directly violates the fundamental security principle of memory safety that prevents unauthorized data access patterns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical information that can be leveraged to bypass modern exploit mitigations including Address Space Layout Randomization. When an attacker successfully triggers this out-of-bounds read, they can extract memory addresses and other sensitive information that would normally be randomized or protected, effectively weakening the security posture of the target system. The vulnerability requires user interaction through social engineering tactics where victims must open a malicious file, making it a typical attack vector for phishing campaigns or compromised file distribution channels. This user interaction requirement aligns with ATT&CK technique T1204.002 for legitimate user execution, where adversaries rely on users to perform actions that trigger the exploit.
The exploitation of this vulnerability represents a significant concern for enterprise environments where Photoshop is commonly used for image editing and design work, as these applications often process files from external sources. The affected versions span multiple major releases, indicating a prolonged period during which this security gap existed, potentially allowing attackers to develop and deploy sophisticated exploitation techniques. This vulnerability maps to CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions in software applications. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected versions to prevent exploitation, while also implementing additional security controls such as email filtering, application whitelisting, and user education programs to reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that could leverage this flaw. The combination of memory disclosure capabilities and ASLR bypass potential makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios where attackers seek to establish persistent access to compromised systems.