CVE-2021-36000
📋 TL;DR
Adobe Character Animator versions 4.2 and earlier contain a memory corruption vulnerability when parsing malicious files. An attacker can achieve arbitrary code execution with the victim's privileges by tricking them into opening a specially crafted file. This affects all users running vulnerable versions of Adobe Character Animator.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Character Animator
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control of the victim's computer, enabling data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Malware installation leading to data exfiltration, credential theft, or system disruption, particularly in targeted attacks against creative professionals.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper user training and security controls preventing malicious file execution, though system integrity may still be compromised if exploited.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file) but is otherwise straightforward once a malicious file is crafted.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 4.3 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/in/security/products/character_animator/apsb21-59.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Character Animator. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Install any available updates. 4. Restart the application.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict file execution
allConfigure application control policies to prevent execution of Character Animator files from untrusted sources.
User awareness training
allTrain users to only open Character Animator files from trusted sources and verify file integrity.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable Adobe Character Animator entirely if not required for business operations.
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of Character Animator.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Adobe Character Animator version in Help > About Character Animator. If version is 4.2 or earlier, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Not applicable - check via application GUI on Windows/macOS.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 4.3 or later in Help > About Character Animator after applying updates.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected process crashes of Character Animator
- Suspicious file access patterns in Character Animator logs
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Character Animator to unknown IPs post-file opening
SIEM Query:
Process creation events where parent process is Character Animator followed by suspicious child processes