CVE-2020-24420
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Adobe Photoshop allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on Windows systems by tricking users into opening malicious files. It affects Photoshop version 21.2.1 and earlier on Windows. The attack requires user interaction but can lead to full system compromise under the current user's privileges.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Photoshop
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the logged-in user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Malware installation or data exfiltration from the affected workstation, with potential for credential theft if the user has elevated privileges.
If Mitigated
Limited to isolated workstation compromise if proper network segmentation and least privilege principles are implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file). No public exploit code is known.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 21.2.2 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb20-63.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Creative Cloud application. 2. Navigate to the 'Apps' section. 3. Find Adobe Photoshop and click 'Update'. 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update. 5. Restart Photoshop after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict file execution from untrusted locations
windowsConfigure Windows to prevent execution of files from temporary directories and untrusted network locations.
Use Windows Group Policy to restrict execution from %TEMP% and network shares
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized executables from running
- Educate users to never open Photoshop files from untrusted sources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Photoshop version in Help > About Photoshop. If version is 21.2.1 or earlier, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
In Photoshop: Help > About PhotoshopVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Photoshop version is 21.2.2 or later in Help > About Photoshop.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation from Photoshop.exe
- Photoshop loading DLLs from unusual locations
Network Indicators:
- Photoshop.exe making unexpected network connections
SIEM Query:
Process creation where parent_process_name contains 'photoshop.exe' and process_name not in approved list