CVE-2020-9678
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-9678 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Adobe Prelude that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This affects users running Adobe Prelude version 9.0 and earlier. Successful exploitation could give attackers full control of the compromised system.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Prelude
📦 What is this software?
Prelude by Adobe
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining administrative privileges, data theft, ransomware deployment, and lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to malware installation, data exfiltration, or persistence mechanisms being established on the affected workstation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to application sandboxing, network segmentation, and proper endpoint protection blocking exploitation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction such as opening a malicious file. No public exploit code was available at disclosure time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Adobe Prelude 9.0.1 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/prelude/apsb20-46.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Creative Cloud application 2. Navigate to 'Apps' tab 3. Find Adobe Prelude 4. Click 'Update' if available 5. Alternatively, download and install version 9.0.1 or later from Adobe website
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict file execution
allPrevent execution of untrusted project files or media files in Adobe Prelude
Application sandboxing
allRun Adobe Prelude in a sandboxed environment to limit potential damage
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove Adobe Prelude from critical systems until patching is possible
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Adobe Prelude version via Help > About Adobe Prelude. If version is 9.0 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Windows: Check registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Prelude\9.0\Version. On macOS: Check /Applications/Adobe Prelude CC/Adobe Prelude.app/Contents/Info.plist for CFBundleShortVersionStringVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 9.0.1 or later in Help > About Adobe Prelude menu.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes in Adobe Prelude with unusual error codes
- Unusual process spawning from Adobe Prelude executable
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from Adobe Prelude process
- DNS requests to suspicious domains following application use
SIEM Query:
process_name:"Adobe Prelude.exe" AND (event_id:1000 OR event_id:1001) OR parent_process_name:"Adobe Prelude.exe" AND process_name NOT IN (expected_child_processes)