CVE-2024-20795: Adobe Animate RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-20795 Overview

CVE-2024-20795 is an integer overflow vulnerability [CWE-190] affecting Adobe Animate versions 23.0.4, 24.0.1, and earlier. The flaw can result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction: the victim must open a malicious file crafted by the attacker.

The vulnerability affects Adobe Animate installations on both Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS. Adobe published fixes under security advisory APSB24-26. No public proof-of-concept exploit is available, and the flaw is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Critical Impact
A specially crafted Animate project or asset file can trigger an integer overflow, enabling arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user opening the file.

Affected Products

Adobe Animate 23.0.4 and earlier
Adobe Animate 24.0.1 and earlier
Adobe Animate on Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS

Discovery Timeline

2024-04-11 - CVE-2024-20795 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-20795

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2024-20795 is an integer overflow or wraparound weakness [CWE-190] in Adobe Animate's file parsing logic. The vulnerability triggers when Animate processes a malformed file containing crafted size or count fields. An arithmetic operation on those fields wraps past the maximum value of the integer type, producing an undersized or negative buffer allocation.

Subsequent write operations use the original untrusted size, corrupting adjacent memory regions. An attacker who controls the overflowed values can shape heap layout and hijack control flow. Successful exploitation yields arbitrary code execution under the identity of the user running Animate.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing validation of arithmetic on attacker-controlled length or index values inside Animate's file parser. When multiplication or addition of untrusted values exceeds the bounds of the underlying integer type, the result wraps around silently. The parser then treats the wrapped value as a valid allocation or offset, breaking downstream memory safety assumptions.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local and requires user interaction. An attacker delivers a malicious Animate file through phishing, a compromised website, a shared drive, or another social-engineering channel. When the victim opens the file in Adobe Animate, the crafted structure triggers the integer overflow during parsing. Code execution occurs in the security context of the current user, providing an initial foothold that can be chained with privilege escalation techniques.

See the Adobe Security Advisory APSB24-26 for vendor-provided technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-20795

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by Animate.exe on Windows or Adobe Animate on macOS, particularly command shells, scripting hosts, or rundll32.exe.
Adobe Animate writing executable content to user-writable directories such as %APPDATA%, %TEMP%, or ~/Library/Caches.
Animate project files (.fla, .xfl) arriving via email, chat, or download from untrusted sources shortly before anomalous host activity.

Detection Strategies

Monitor process creation telemetry for Adobe Animate spawning interpreters (powershell.exe, cmd.exe, wscript.exe, bash, osascript) or network utilities.
Alert on Adobe Animate loading unsigned or unusual dynamic libraries not shipped with the product.
Correlate file open events for Animate document formats with subsequent outbound network connections from the Animate process.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest endpoint process, file, and module-load events into a centralized data lake to enable retrospective hunting for exploitation of CVE-2024-20795.
Baseline normal Adobe Animate behavior per user population and alert on deviations such as memory allocation anomalies or crashes followed by shellcode-like activity.
Track deployed Adobe Animate versions across the fleet and flag hosts still running 23.0.4, 24.0.1, or earlier.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-20795

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Adobe Animate to the versions listed in Adobe Security Advisory APSB24-26 on all Windows and macOS endpoints.
Inventory Animate installations using software asset management tooling and prioritize creative workstations and shared render systems.
Instruct users to open Animate files only from trusted sources until patching is complete.

Patch Information

Adobe released fixed versions of Animate under advisory APSB24-26. Administrators should apply the vendor updates through Adobe Creative Cloud or enterprise deployment channels. Verify installed versions post-update to confirm remediation of CVE-2024-20795.

Workarounds

Block delivery of Adobe Animate project files (.fla, .xfl, .as) from external senders at the email gateway until patching is verified.
Enforce application allow-listing to prevent Adobe Animate from launching child processes such as command interpreters or scripting hosts.
Restrict user privileges so that arbitrary code execution in the Animate process cannot escalate to administrative access.

bash

# Query installed Adobe Animate version on Windows endpoints
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Animate" /s /v Version

# Query installed Adobe Animate version on macOS endpoints
defaults read "/Applications/Adobe Animate 2024/Adobe Animate 2024.app/Contents/Info.plist" CFBundleShortVersionString