CVE-2025-43594
📋 TL;DR
Adobe InDesign versions 19.5.3 and earlier contain an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on a victim's system when they open a malicious file. This affects all users running vulnerable versions of InDesign Desktop. Successful exploitation requires user interaction through opening a specially crafted file.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe InDesign Desktop
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control of the victim's computer in the context of the current user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to malware installation, data exfiltration, or persistence mechanisms being established on the compromised system.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper application sandboxing, user privilege restrictions, and file validation controls preventing successful exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file) and knowledge of memory corruption techniques. No public exploits confirmed as of advisory publication.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 19.5.4 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/indesign/apsb25-60.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Creative Cloud application. 2. Navigate to 'Apps' section. 3. Find InDesign and click 'Update'. 4. Alternatively, download from Adobe website. 5. Install update and restart computer.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict InDesign file handling
allConfigure system to open .indd files with alternative applications or require validation before opening
Application sandboxing
allRun InDesign in restricted mode or container to limit potential damage from exploitation
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized code
- Restrict user privileges to standard user accounts (not administrator)
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check InDesign version via Help > About InDesign. If version is 19.5.3 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Windows: Check via Adobe Creative Cloud app or Help > About InDesign. On macOS: Adobe InDesign > About InDesign.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 19.5.4 or later in Help > About InDesign. No further vulnerability checks needed after update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected InDesign crashes
- Memory access violation errors in system logs
- Unusual child processes spawned from InDesign
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from InDesign process
- DNS requests to suspicious domains after file opening
SIEM Query:
process_name:"InDesign.exe" AND (event_id:1000 OR event_id:1001) OR parent_process:"InDesign.exe" AND process_creation