CVE-2025-54256 in Dreamweaver Desktop
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2025
Dreamweaver Desktop versions 21.5 and earlier are affected by a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) 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 click on a malicious link, and scope is changed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2025
This Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability exists in Adobe Dreamweaver Desktop versions 21.5 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that could enable remote code execution under specific conditions. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of cross-site requests within the application's web interface, allowing attackers to manipulate user sessions and execute malicious commands. According to CWE-352, this classification indicates a direct violation of the principle that web applications should verify the origin of all requests. The flaw specifically affects the desktop version of Dreamweaver, which provides web development capabilities including server-side script execution and file manipulation functions. The vulnerability requires user interaction through a malicious link, making it a classic CSRF attack vector that exploits the trust relationship between the application and its users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows an attacker to craft specially designed requests that, when executed by an authenticated user, can perform actions beyond what the user intended. In the context of Dreamweaver, this could enable attackers to modify project files, execute arbitrary scripts, or manipulate server configurations depending on the user's permissions and the underlying web server setup. The attack requires a victim to click on a malicious link, which means social engineering plays a crucial role in exploitation success. This user interaction requirement aligns with the ATT&CK framework's T1566 technique for initial access through spearphishing, where the malicious link serves as the delivery mechanism. The scope change aspect of the vulnerability suggests that the attack could potentially escalate privileges or access additional resources beyond the initial target.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it could compromise the entire web development environment that Dreamweaver provides. If exploited successfully, attackers could gain access to sensitive project files, source code repositories, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the development infrastructure. The vulnerability affects developers who may have elevated privileges within their development environments, making the potential damage significantly greater than in typical web applications. Organizations using Dreamweaver for web development projects face increased risk of data breaches, intellectual property theft, and compromised development workflows. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where Dreamweaver might be used to manage critical web applications or serve as part of a larger development pipeline that includes automated deployment processes.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of Dreamweaver where the CSRF vulnerability has been patched, as well as implementing additional security controls such as Content Security Policy headers and CSRF tokens for any web applications developed using Dreamweaver. Network segmentation and user access controls should be reviewed to limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs. Security awareness training for developers should emphasize the dangers of clicking unknown links and the importance of verifying source authenticity. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing defense-in-depth strategies, as the issue could be exploited through various vectors including phishing attacks or compromised websites that users might visit during normal development activities. Regular security assessments of development environments and web applications created with Dreamweaver should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities.