CVE-2024-49509: Adobe InDesign Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2024-49509 Overview

CVE-2024-49509 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Adobe InDesign Desktop versions ID18.5.3, ID19.5, and earlier. The flaw allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user when a victim opens a crafted InDesign file. The vulnerability maps to [CWE-122: Heap-based Buffer Overflow] and [CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write]. Exploitation requires local user interaction, limiting mass exploitation but supporting targeted attacks against design and publishing environments on both Windows and macOS.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants attackers arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running InDesign, enabling malware deployment, credential theft, and lateral movement.

Affected Products

Adobe InDesign Desktop ID18.5.3 and earlier
Adobe InDesign Desktop ID19.5 and earlier
Windows and macOS installations of the affected versions

Discovery Timeline

2024-11-12 - CVE-2024-49509 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-49509

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a heap-based buffer overflow triggered during the parsing of an InDesign document. When InDesign processes malformed structures within a crafted file, the application writes data past the bounds of a heap-allocated buffer. This out-of-bounds write corrupts adjacent heap metadata or object pointers, giving an attacker control over program flow.

By shaping the heap layout before triggering the overflow, an attacker can overwrite function pointers or virtual table entries. The result is arbitrary code execution inside the InDesign process, which runs at the privilege level of the interactive user. Because the flaw resides in file parsing, no network exposure is required, but the victim must open the malicious document.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient bounds checking when copying attacker-controlled data from a document structure into a fixed-size heap buffer. Adobe's advisory does not disclose the specific parser component. Adjacent object corruption in the heap enables the transition from memory corruption to code execution.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local and requires user interaction. An attacker delivers a weaponized .indd file through phishing email, a shared drive, a design collaboration platform, or a compromised website. Opening the file in a vulnerable InDesign version triggers the overflow. See the Adobe Security Advisory APSB24-88 for vendor details.

No public proof-of-concept or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported at the time of publication.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-49509

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by InDesign.exe on Windows or Adobe InDesign on macOS, such as command shells, PowerShell, or curl
InDesign process crashes with heap corruption signatures in Windows Error Reporting or macOS crash logs
InDesign writing or executing files in user-writable directories such as %TEMP%, %APPDATA%, or ~/Library/Caches
Inbound .indd, .indt, or .idml files from untrusted senders arriving through email or file-sharing services

Detection Strategies

Monitor for anomalous process lineage where InDesign spawns interpreters, scripting engines, or network utilities
Alert on outbound network connections initiated directly by the InDesign process
Inspect InDesign crash telemetry for repeated faults indicating exploit attempts or unstable payloads
Correlate document open events with subsequent file writes to autostart or persistence locations

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable endpoint detection and response telemetry for file-open events tied to design applications
Log process creation with full command lines across Windows and macOS design workstations
Track InDesign version inventory to identify hosts running ID18.5.3, ID19.5, or earlier
Ingest email gateway logs to flag InDesign file attachments from external senders

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-49509

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Adobe InDesign to the fixed versions listed in Adobe Security Advisory APSB24-88
Inventory all endpoints running InDesign and prioritize patching for users who routinely open externally sourced documents
Restrict InDesign document delivery through email filtering and cloud storage policy controls
Educate designers and editors on the risk of opening unsolicited .indd files

Patch Information

Adobe released security updates addressing CVE-2024-49509 in November 2024. Administrators should apply the patched builds published in the vendor advisory to InDesign 2023 (ID18) and InDesign 2024 (ID19) branches on both Windows and macOS. Enterprise deployments should use Adobe Admin Console or Creative Cloud Packager to push the fixed builds.

Workarounds

Block or quarantine InDesign document formats from untrusted external sources at the email and web gateway
Open suspicious documents only in isolated virtual machines or sandboxed profiles until patching completes
Run InDesign under standard user accounts to limit the blast radius of successful exploitation
Enable operating system exploit mitigations such as Windows Exploit Protection and macOS Hardened Runtime for the InDesign process

bash

# Verify installed Adobe InDesign version on macOS
defaults read "/Applications/Adobe InDesign 2024/Adobe InDesign 2024.app/Contents/Info.plist" CFBundleShortVersionString

# Verify installed Adobe InDesign version on Windows (PowerShell)
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*" |
  Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "Adobe InDesign*" } |
  Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion