CVE-2020-9669
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application allows attackers to escalate privileges on affected systems due to insufficient exploit mitigations. Users running versions 5.1 and earlier are vulnerable to local privilege escalation attacks.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with administrative privileges, allowing installation of persistent malware, data theft, and complete control of the affected system.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions, potentially leading to lateral movement within networks.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper user account controls and network segmentation, though local privilege escalation remains possible.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to the system. The CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management) suggests relatively straightforward exploitation once initial access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 5.2 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/creative-cloud/apsb20-33.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application. 2. Click on the gear icon (Preferences). 3. Select 'Apps' tab. 4. Click 'Check for Updates'. 5. Install any available updates. 6. Restart the application and system if prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Uninstall Creative Cloud Desktop Application
windowsRemove the vulnerable application entirely to eliminate the attack surface
Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program > Adobe Creative Cloud > Uninstall
Restrict User Privileges
allRun Creative Cloud with standard user privileges instead of administrative rights
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to limit lateral movement
- Apply principle of least privilege to all user accounts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Creative Cloud version in application preferences or via 'Creative Cloud.exe --version' commandCheck Version:
Creative Cloud.exe --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 5.2 or higher in application preferences📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual privilege escalation events in Windows Event Logs (Event ID 4672, 4688)
- Creative Cloud process spawning with elevated privileges
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Creative Cloud processes
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND ProcessName="Creative Cloud.exe" AND NewProcessName="cmd.exe" OR "powershell.exe"