CVE-2025-49530
📋 TL;DR
Adobe Illustrator versions 28.7.6, 29.5.1 and earlier contain an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that could allow arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious file. This affects all users running vulnerable versions of Illustrator on any operating system where the software is installed.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Illustrator
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise via arbitrary code execution with current user privileges, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement.
Likely Case
Malicious actor gains control of the affected system through crafted document exploitation, enabling data exfiltration or malware installation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to user interaction requirement and proper security controls preventing malicious file execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file). No public exploit code available at time of analysis.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Update to Illustrator 28.7.7 or 29.5.2 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb25-65.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Creative Cloud application. 2. Navigate to 'Apps' section. 3. Find Adobe Illustrator. 4. Click 'Update' button. 5. Restart Illustrator after update completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Illustrator file opening
allTemporarily prevent Illustrator from opening files by modifying file associations
Windows: assoc .ai=txtfile
macOS: defaults write com.apple.LaunchServices LSHandlers -array-add '{LSHandlerContentType=com.adobe.ai;LSHandlerRoleAll=com.apple.textedit;}'
Application sandboxing
allRun Illustrator in restricted environment to limit potential damage
Windows: Use Windows Sandbox or AppLocker rules
macOS: Use sandbox-exec or create restricted profile
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized Illustrator execution
- Deploy email/web filtering to block malicious document attachments and downloads
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Illustrator version via Help > About Illustrator. If version is 28.7.6 or earlier, or 29.5.1 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Illustrator: Help > About Illustrator (GUI only, no CLI command)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify Illustrator version is 28.7.7 or later, or 29.5.2 or later after update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Illustrator crash logs with memory access violations
- Windows Event Logs: Application crashes with exception codes like 0xC0000005
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections following Illustrator document opening
- File downloads from untrusted sources preceding Illustrator execution
SIEM Query:
source="illustrator.log" AND ("access violation" OR "out of bounds" OR "memory corruption") OR source="windows-security" AND event_id=1000 AND process_name="illustrator.exe"