CVE-2025-21135 in Animate
Summary
by MITRE • 01/14/2025
Animate versions 24.0.6, 23.0.9 and earlier are affected by an Integer Underflow (Wrap or Wraparound) vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-21135 represents a critical integer underflow flaw within the Animate software ecosystem affecting versions 24.0.6, 23.0.9 and earlier. This issue resides in the software's handling of numerical values during file processing operations, specifically manifesting as an integer wraparound condition where arithmetic operations exceed the maximum representable value for the data type. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-191 Integer Underflow (Wrap or Wraparound) which is classified as a fundamental weakness in software design that occurs when a calculation produces a result that is outside the range of valid values for the data type being used. The flaw occurs when a program performs a subtraction operation that results in a value smaller than the minimum value that can be represented by the data type, causing the value to wrap around to the maximum possible value and potentially leading to unexpected behavior in memory management and control flow.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires specific user interaction, making it a user-initiated attack vector where a victim must open a maliciously crafted file to trigger the exploit. This interaction requirement places the vulnerability in the context of social engineering and targeted attacks where adversaries must convince users to execute files containing malicious payloads. The attack scenario typically involves a user opening a specially crafted file that contains malformed data structures designed to trigger the integer underflow condition. When the vulnerable software processes this malicious file, the underflow condition causes memory corruption that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user. The exploitation mechanism relies on the predictable nature of integer wraparound behavior and the software's failure to properly validate input data before processing operations that could lead to memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it fundamentally compromises the security boundaries of the affected system. When successful, the exploit allows attackers to execute code in the context of the current user, potentially leading to privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or further system compromise. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it affects widely used software versions, creating a broad attack surface across various deployment environments. The integer underflow condition can result in heap corruption, stack corruption, or other memory management issues that may manifest in unpredictable ways, making the exploitation both subtle and potentially persistent. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell where attackers might leverage the arbitrary code execution to deploy additional malicious payloads or establish persistence mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-21135 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that address the integer underflow condition through proper input validation and boundary checking. Organizations should implement defensive measures such as application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized files and maintain strict file validation policies for incoming content. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of updated software versions to ensure that the integer underflow vulnerability has been properly addressed without introducing new compatibility issues. Security teams should also consider implementing monitoring mechanisms to detect unusual file processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding suspicious file attachments and verifying the legitimacy of files before opening them, particularly in environments where the software is used for processing untrusted content. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation and proper boundary checking in preventing integer overflow and underflow conditions that can lead to serious security consequences.