CVE-2025-43555 in Animate
Summary
by MITRE • 05/13/2025
Animate versions 24.0.8, 23.0.11 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-43555 represents a critical integer underflow flaw affecting Animate versions 24.0.8, 23.0.11, and earlier releases. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-191, which specifically addresses integer underflow conditions where a signed integer is decremented below its minimum representable value, potentially causing unexpected behavior in the application's memory management and control flow. The flaw manifests when the software processes maliciously crafted files, creating a scenario where an attacker can manipulate integer values to trigger unintended program execution paths.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user interaction component, making it a targeted attack vector that relies on social engineering or phishing techniques to deliver malicious files to unsuspecting victims. When a user opens a specially crafted file, the integer underflow condition occurs during the parsing or processing of file structures, potentially leading to memory corruption that allows arbitrary code execution within the context of the current user's privileges. This means that successful exploitation could enable an attacker to execute malicious code on the victim's system with the same permissions as the legitimate user, potentially leading to data theft, system compromise, or further lateral movement within a network environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it creates opportunities for attackers to establish persistent access to affected systems. The integer underflow could affect various file processing functions within the Animate application, potentially disrupting normal application behavior while simultaneously providing a pathway for privilege escalation. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as the arbitrary code execution capability allows for the deployment of additional malicious payloads. The requirement for user interaction makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently open malicious attachments or download compromised files from untrusted sources.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through software updates to versions that address the integer underflow condition. Security teams should implement network monitoring to detect suspicious file access patterns and consider deploying application whitelisting controls to restrict execution of potentially malicious files. The vulnerability's classification as a wraparound condition suggests that defensive measures should include input validation and boundary checking mechanisms to prevent integer arithmetic from producing unexpected results. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of verifying file sources and avoiding opening attachments from unknown senders to mitigate the social engineering aspects of this exploit.