CVE-2024-20756: Adobe Bridge RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-20756 Overview

CVE-2024-20756 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] affecting Adobe Bridge versions 13.0.5, 14.0.1, and earlier. The flaw allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user when a victim opens a malicious file. Adobe published the vulnerability on March 18, 2024, and it affects both Windows and macOS installations of Adobe Bridge.

The issue carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 and requires user interaction. Exploitation depends on convincing a target to open a crafted file, but successful attacks yield high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The EPSS score of 4.075% places this vulnerability in the 89th percentile of exploitation likelihood.

Critical Impact
Attackers who trick a user into opening a malicious file can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user, enabling full compromise of the affected workstation.

Affected Products

Adobe Bridge 13.0.5 and earlier
Adobe Bridge 14.0.1 and earlier
Windows and macOS installations of Adobe Bridge

Discovery Timeline

2024-03-18 - CVE-2024-20756 published to NVD and Adobe releases security bulletin APSB24-15
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-20756

Vulnerability Analysis

Adobe Bridge is a digital asset management application used to organize creative assets across the Creative Cloud suite. CVE-2024-20756 is an out-of-bounds write condition triggered when Bridge parses a malformed file. The parser writes data past the boundaries of an allocated buffer, corrupting adjacent memory structures.

An attacker crafts a specially constructed file that manipulates parser state during processing. When the victim opens the file in Adobe Bridge, the malformed structure forces the application to write attacker-controlled bytes outside intended buffer bounds. This memory corruption can be shaped into arbitrary code execution within the user's session.

The attack vector is local, but delivery typically leverages email attachments, malicious downloads, or shared network storage. Threat actors often pair such flaws with social engineering to trick creative professionals into opening the payload.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient bounds checking on data written into a fixed-size buffer during file parsing. Adobe has not published low-level technical details, but CWE-787 vulnerabilities typically stem from incorrect size calculations, integer wrap-around, or trust in attacker-supplied length fields.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires the victim to open a malicious file with Adobe Bridge. No network access, elevated privileges, or authentication bypass is required. The out-of-bounds write corrupts memory such that control flow can be redirected to attacker-supplied shellcode, resulting in arbitrary code execution as the current user.

See the Adobe Security Bulletin APSB24-15 for vendor-provided technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-20756

Indicators of Compromise

Adobe Bridge (Bridge.exe on Windows, Adobe Bridge on macOS) crashing or spawning unexpected child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or /bin/sh
Untrusted files with Bridge-associated extensions delivered via email, chat, or shared storage
Outbound network connections initiated by Adobe Bridge to unfamiliar hosts shortly after a file is opened

Detection Strategies

Monitor process lineage for Adobe Bridge spawning shells, scripting interpreters, or LOLBins
Alert on Adobe Bridge writing executable content to disk in user-writable paths such as %APPDATA% or ~/Library
Correlate application crash telemetry (WER reports, macOS crash logs) referencing Bridge with subsequent suspicious activity on the same host

Monitoring Recommendations

Track Adobe Bridge version inventory across managed endpoints to identify unpatched hosts
Ingest endpoint process and file telemetry into a centralized data lake for retrospective hunting when new IOCs emerge
Baseline normal Bridge network behavior so anomalous outbound connections trigger investigation

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-20756

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Adobe Bridge to version 13.0.6 or 14.0.2 or later as directed in APSB24-15
Inventory endpoints running Adobe Bridge and prioritize patching for creative and design teams
Instruct users not to open Bridge project files or assets received from untrusted sources

Patch Information

Adobe addressed CVE-2024-20756 in security bulletin APSB24-15, released on March 12, 2024. Fixed builds are Adobe Bridge 13.0.6 (for the 13.x branch) and 14.0.2 (for the 14.x branch). Apply updates through the Creative Cloud desktop application or via managed deployment tooling.

Workarounds

Restrict file associations so that untrusted file types do not open in Adobe Bridge by default
Apply application allowlisting to prevent Adobe Bridge from launching child processes such as shells and scripting hosts
Use email and web gateways to strip or sandbox attachments targeting creative applications until patches are deployed

bash

# Verify installed Adobe Bridge version on Windows
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Bridge" /s | findstr /I "Version"

# Verify installed Adobe Bridge version on macOS
mdls -name kMDItemVersion "/Applications/Adobe Bridge 2024/Adobe Bridge 2024.app"