CVE-2025-21159
📋 TL;DR
Adobe Illustrator versions 29.1, 28.7.3 and earlier contain a use-after-free vulnerability that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code when a user opens a malicious file. This affects all users running vulnerable versions of Illustrator on any supported operating system.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Illustrator
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the current user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement.
Likely Case
Malicious document leads to code execution, allowing attackers to steal files, install malware, or establish persistence on the victim's system.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if user opens document from untrusted source but system has application sandboxing or other security controls in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user to open a malicious file. No public exploit code available at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Update to Illustrator 29.2 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb25-11.html
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Creative Cloud application. 2. Navigate to 'Apps' tab. 3. Find Adobe Illustrator and click 'Update'. 4. Alternatively, download latest version from Adobe website.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable opening untrusted files
allConfigure Illustrator to only open files from trusted sources or implement application control policies.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to block Illustrator execution
- Use email/web filtering to block malicious document attachments
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Illustrator version via Help > About Illustrator. If version is 29.1, 28.7.3 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Windows: Check Illustrator.exe properties. On macOS: Check Illustrator.app Info.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify Illustrator version is 29.2 or later after update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Illustrator crash logs with memory access violations
- Unexpected Illustrator process spawning child processes
Network Indicators:
- Illustrator process making unexpected outbound connections after opening document
SIEM Query:
process_name:"Illustrator.exe" AND (event_type:crash OR child_process_count > 1)