CVE-2023-21574
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an Improper Input Validation vulnerability in Adobe Photoshop that allows arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious file. It affects Photoshop versions 23.5.3 and earlier, and 24.1 and earlier, potentially compromising the current user's system.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Photoshop
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise via arbitrary code execution, leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Malware infection or data exfiltration after a user is tricked into opening a malicious Photoshop file.
If Mitigated
No impact if patches are applied or if users avoid opening untrusted files.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious file), but no public proof-of-concept is known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Photoshop 23.5.4 and 24.2 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb23-11.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Photoshop. 2. Go to Help > Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install the latest version (23.5.4 or 24.2+). 4. Restart Photoshop after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict File Opening
allConfigure Photoshop to only open trusted files or disable automatic opening of certain file types.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Educate users to avoid opening Photoshop files from untrusted sources.
- Implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized Photoshop execution.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Photoshop version via Help > About Photoshop; if version is 23.5.3 or earlier, or 24.1 or earlier, it is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Windows: wmic product where name='Adobe Photoshop' get version; On macOS: /Applications/Adobe Photoshop */Adobe Photoshop.app/Contents/Info.plist | grep -A1 CFBundleShortVersionStringVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 23.5.4 or later for 23.x, or 24.2 or later for 24.x.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual Photoshop process activity or crashes after file opening
- Security logs showing file execution from untrusted locations
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections initiated by Photoshop post-file opening, indicating potential C2 communication
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND ProcessName='photoshop.exe' AND CommandLine LIKE '%.psd' OR '%.psb' from untrusted paths