CVE-2021-42524
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2021-42524 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Adobe Animate that allows arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious BMP file. This affects users running Adobe Animate version 21.0.9 or earlier. Successful exploitation gives attackers the same privileges as the current user.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Animate
📦 What is this software?
Animate by Adobe
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to data exfiltration, credential theft, or installation of additional malware.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper application sandboxing and user privilege restrictions, potentially only affecting user data within Adobe Animate's context.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file) and knowledge of BMP file format manipulation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 21.0.10 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/animate/apsb21-105.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Animate. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install version 21.0.10 or later. 4. Restart Adobe Animate after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Block BMP file associations
allPrevent Adobe Animate from opening BMP files by default
Windows: Use Group Policy or registry to modify file associations
macOS: Use Finder > Get Info to change default application for .bmp files
User awareness training
allTrain users not to open BMP files from untrusted sources
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Run Adobe Animate with reduced user privileges (non-admin account)
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized code
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Adobe Animate version: Open Adobe Animate, go to Help > About Adobe Animate. If version is 21.0.9 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Windows: wmic product where "name like 'Adobe Animate%'" get version
macOS: /Applications/Adobe\ Animate\ */Adobe\ Animate.app/Contents/Info.plist | grep -A1 CFBundleShortVersionStringVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Adobe Animate version is 21.0.10 or later using Help > About Adobe Animate.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Adobe Animate crash logs with memory access violations
- Unexpected child processes spawned from Adobe Animate
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from Adobe Animate process
SIEM Query:
process_name:"Adobe Animate" AND (event_type:crash OR parent_process:"Adobe Animate")