CVE-2025-47136 in InDesign Desktop
Summary
by MITRE • 07/09/2025
InDesign Desktop versions 19.5.3 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 • 07/10/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-47136 represents a critical integer underflow flaw within Adobe InDesign Desktop versions 19.5.3 and earlier. This issue manifests as a wrap or wraparound condition in the software's handling of integer values during file processing operations. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-191 category of Integer Underflow (Wrap or Wraparound) which occurs when a signed integer is decremented below its minimum representable value, causing it to wrap around to a large positive value. The flaw specifically impacts the application's file parsing mechanism where improper bounds checking allows malicious input to trigger unexpected behavior in memory management operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user interaction vector where an attacker must convince a victim to open a specially crafted malicious file. When the vulnerable InDesign application processes this file, the integer underflow condition causes the application to behave unpredictably, potentially leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution. The attack surface is limited to the context of the current user, meaning successful exploitation would allow an attacker to execute malicious code with the privileges of the logged-in user. This vulnerability represents a classic use-after-free or buffer overflow scenario where integer arithmetic errors lead to memory corruption, making it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-47136 extends beyond simple arbitrary code execution to encompass potential privilege escalation and persistent access within targeted environments. Organizations using InDesign for creative workflows, publishing, and design production are at significant risk since these applications are frequently used to process files from external sources, making them prime targets for social engineering attacks. The vulnerability's requirement for user interaction provides a potential defense mechanism through user awareness training, but this approach is inherently unreliable in enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious files through legitimate business processes such as client submissions or collaborative design projects.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected InDesign versions to the latest available releases from Adobe. Organizations should implement strict file validation policies and consider deploying application whitelisting solutions to prevent execution of untrusted files. Network-based protections such as sandboxing or application control solutions can provide additional defense layers. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) which describe how attackers leverage application flaws to execute malicious code. System administrators should also monitor for suspicious file access patterns and implement automated threat hunting procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of creative software environments are recommended to identify similar integer arithmetic vulnerabilities that may exist in other Adobe Creative Suite applications or similar desktop publishing software that may be susceptible to similar integer underflow conditions.