Adobe Illustrator CVE-2025-54284
HIGHAttack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessDeliver malicious Illustrator file to victim
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ExploitVictim opens file in vulnerable Illustrator
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ExecutionTrigger out-of-bounds write in file parser
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ImpactExecute arbitrary code as current user
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, write limits
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the victim to open a maliciously crafted file in a vulnerable Adobe Illustrator version (29.7, 28.7.9 or earlier), per the description's explicit statement that 'a victim must open a malicious file.' The CVSS vector (AV:L, UI:R) confirms this is a local, user-interaction-dependent file-parsing attack, not remote unauthenticated exploitation - the attacker cannot trigger it over the network without the user action. Code execution is confined to the privileges of the current user (S:U), so impact is limited by the account running Illustrator rather than granting system-level compromise directly. The primary limiting factor is the social-engineering dependency: the attacker must convince the target to open an attacker-supplied file. |
| Impact | This is a legitimate but moderate-priority vulnerability rather than an urgent emergency. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) reflects a local attack vector requiring user interaction - the victim must open a malicious file - which meaningfully lowers real-world exploitability compared to a network-reachable flaw. The EPSS score of 0.21% (11th percentile) confirms a low modeled probability of exploitation in the near term, consistent with this being a client-side file-parsing bug that depends on social engineering rather than automated mass exploitation. There is no CISA KEV listing and no public exploit code identified in the provided data, so there is no evidence of active exploitation. No SSVC decision data was provided. The signals are mutually consistent: high technical impact (code execution in the user's context) but low likelihood and no exploitation-in-the-wild evidence. The vulnerability was reported by Adobe's own PSIRT, indicating a vendor-coordinated disclosure with a patch available via APSB25-102 rather than an externally discovered zero-day. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker crafts a malicious Illustrator-compatible file (e.g., .ai or an imported asset format) that triggers an out-of-bounds write when parsed, then delivers it to a victim via email, a shared project, or a download. When the victim opens the file in a vulnerable Illustrator version (29.7, 28.7.9 or earlier), the memory corruption leads to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. No public exploit code was identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 08, 2026
Out-of-bounds write in Adobe Illustrator 29.7, 28.7.9 and earlier allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user by convincing the victim to open a maliciously crafted file. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, score 7.8) confirms this is a local, user-interaction-dependent file-parsing attack rather than a remotely triggerable one: no privileges are required (PR:N), but the victim must open the file (UI:R), and code execution is bounded by the privileges of the account running Illustrator (S:U). No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and the EPSS score is low at 0.21% (11th percentile), so this is a legitimate but moderate-priority vulnerability rather than an urgent emergency; the primary limiting factor is the social-engineering dependency on getting the target to open an attacker-supplied document.
RemediationAI
Update Adobe Illustrator to the current patched release published in Adobe security bulletin APSB25-102 (https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb25-102.html); apply it via the Creative Cloud desktop app's update mechanism or Adobe's enterprise/packaged deployment tools, and verify the installed build number against the advisory since an exact fix version is not independently confirmed in the supplied data. Until patched, treat all Illustrator/vector-art file attachments from untrusted or unexpected sources as hostile and strip or block .ai (and related .eps/.pdf vector containers) at mail gateways and web proxies - the trade-off is legitimate designer workflows that exchange these files get interrupted, so allow-list known senders instead of disabling the format company-wide. Run Illustrator as a non-administrative user and with the least privilege available, since the S:U vector means compromise is confined to that account - this reduces, but does not eliminate, the value of the exploit to an attacker. Enable OS exploit mitigations that make out-of-bounds writes harder to turn into reliable code execution (Windows Defender Exploit Guard / CFG / DEP / ASLR, or macOS hardened runtime and XProtect), and consider opening untrusted artwork in a sandboxed VM or disposable environment as a compensating control - the cost is operational friction and reduced integration with production assets. Enforce the principle that the user must explicitly open a file: disable automatic preview/thumbnail generation for .ai files in file browsers and email clients, which removes the chance of parsing attacks occurring without a deliberate open.
Affects your stack
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Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The issue is a memory-safety defect classified as CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), which in Adobe Illustrator manifests as a buffer overflow / memory corruption while parsing a crafted document. Illustrator's file-format parsing stack handles complex vector-graphics and embedded-resource data (AI/EPS-style documents and their embedded previews and streams); when the parser writes past the bounds of an allocated buffer, adjacent memory is corrupted, which an attacker can shape into controlled execution flow. Successful exploitation yields arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running Illustrator, meaning confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are all High, but scope is Unchanged (S:U), so no automatic privilege escalation to the OS or other users occurs. The CPE data confirms the affected package as cpe:2.3:a:adobe:illustrator:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, covering Illustrator 29.7, 28.7.9, and all earlier releases. Because the attack surface is the file parser on the local endpoint, exploitation is gated entirely by the victim opening the malicious file - this is not a network-service vulnerability and cannot be triggered remotely without that user action.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:L and UI:R because the victim must open a malicious local file; PR:N as no authentication is needed; C/I/A:H since code executes as the current user.
Primary rating from Vendor (adobe).
CVSS VectorVendor: adobe
DescriptionCVE.org
Illustrator versions 29.7, 28.7.9 and earlier are affected by an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.
Executive ViewAI
Adobe Illustrator versions 29.7, 28.7.9, and earlier are affected by a high-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability that could allow an attacker to execute code on a user's system if they open a maliciously crafted file. This poses a risk to creative teams and anyone using the software, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data or further compromise within the network. Leadership should prioritize awareness and interim mitigations given the absence of a vendor patch and the fact that no public exploit has been identified at time of analysis.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations include: user education on avoiding untrusted files, application whitelisting for Illustrator, sandboxing or containerizing the application, and network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org
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GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB