CVE-2020-9731
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory corruption vulnerability in Adobe InDesign where malicious .indd files can trigger out-of-bounds memory access. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user. Users of Adobe InDesign versions 15.1.1 and earlier are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe InDesign
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or malware installation through social engineering attacks with malicious files.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper file handling restrictions and user awareness training.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious file. No public exploit code was available at disclosure.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 15.1.2 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/indesign/apsb20-52.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Creative Cloud application. 2. Navigate to 'Apps' tab. 3. Find Adobe InDesign and click 'Update'. 4. Alternatively, download installer from Adobe website. 5. Restart computer after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict .indd file handling
allConfigure system to open .indd files only with trusted applications or block them at perimeter.
User awareness training
allEducate users to avoid opening .indd files from untrusted sources.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized InDesign instances
- Use email filtering to block .indd attachments from external sources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check InDesign version via Help > About InDesign. If version is 15.1.1 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Windows: Check registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\InDesign\15.0\Installation. On macOS: Check /Applications/Adobe InDesign CC 2019/Adobe InDesign CC 2019.app/Contents/Info.plistVerify Fix Applied:
Verify InDesign version is 15.1.2 or later via Help > About InDesign.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes of InDesign.exe or InDesign process
- Unexpected child processes spawned from InDesign
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from InDesign process
SIEM Query:
process_name:"InDesign.exe" AND (event_type:"process_crash" OR parent_process:"InDesign.exe")