CVE-2025-21168: Adobe Substance 3D Designer Information Disclosure

CVE-2025-21168 Overview

Adobe Substance 3D Designer versions 14.1 and earlier contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-21168. The flaw allows an attacker to read memory outside the bounds of an allocated buffer when the application parses a malicious file. Successful exploitation discloses sensitive process memory, which attackers can use to bypass mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR). The issue is classified under CWE-125 and requires local user interaction, as the victim must open a crafted file.

Critical Impact
Memory disclosure from a malicious Substance 3D Designer file enables ASLR bypass, lowering the barrier for chaining with memory corruption flaws to achieve code execution.

Affected Products

Adobe Substance 3D Designer 14.1
Adobe Substance 3D Designer prior to 14.1
Windows and macOS installations of Substance 3D Designer

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-08 - CVE-2025-21168 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-21168

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds read in Adobe Substance 3D Designer's file parsing logic. When the application processes a malformed asset file, it reads memory beyond the intended buffer boundaries. This condition exposes adjacent heap or stack memory contents to the attacker-controlled parsing path.

The disclosed memory may include pointers, stack cookies, or module base addresses. Attackers typically use such leaks to defeat ASLR before launching a second-stage memory corruption exploit. The flaw does not directly provide code execution or integrity impact, but it weakens the exploit mitigation surface of the host.

Exploitation is local and requires user interaction. The victim must open a file supplied by the attacker through email, download, or shared project repositories commonly used in 3D asset workflows.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient bounds checking during the deserialization of an asset structure. The parser trusts a length or offset field embedded in the file without validating it against the actual buffer size. A crafted file causes the read index to exceed allocated memory, returning uninitialized or adjacent data to attacker-reachable code paths.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local and file-based. An attacker crafts a malicious Substance 3D Designer project or asset file and delivers it to a target user. When the user opens the file in a vulnerable Substance 3D Designer client, the parser triggers the out-of-bounds read and leaks memory contents that the attacker can observe through application behavior, error states, or saved output. No network access or elevated privileges are required.

No public proof-of-concept or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported for this CVE.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-21168

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected Substance 3D Designer crashes or exceptions when opening unfamiliar .sbs, .sbsar, or related asset files
Delivery of 3D asset files from untrusted email senders, file shares, or chat attachments to design workstations
Substance 3D Designer processes exhibiting anomalous child process creation shortly after opening files

Detection Strategies

Monitor endpoint telemetry for Substance 3D Designer.exe or Adobe Substance 3D Designer processes opening files from browser download directories, email attachments, or temporary folders
Inspect installed Substance 3D Designer versions across managed workstations and flag any build at or below 14.1
Correlate crash reports and Windows Error Reporting events tied to Substance 3D Designer with recent file-open activity

Monitoring Recommendations

Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) telemetry on creative and design workstations where Substance 3D Designer is installed
Alert on Substance 3D Designer loading files from network shares or removable media not associated with sanctioned project directories
Baseline normal Substance 3D Designer file-open and module-load patterns to surface deviations consistent with exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-21168

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Adobe Substance 3D Designer to the fixed release identified in the Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-62
Inventory all workstations running Substance 3D Designer and prioritize patching for users who regularly receive external asset files
Instruct users to open only Substance 3D Designer files from trusted project repositories until patching is complete

Patch Information

Adobe addressed CVE-2025-21168 in the update documented in Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-62. Administrators should apply the vendor-supplied update to all Substance 3D Designer installations and verify version numbers after deployment.

Workarounds

Restrict Substance 3D Designer file execution to vetted internal project directories using application control policies
Scan incoming 3D asset files through sandbox analysis before distributing them to designers
Educate users to validate the source of .sbs and .sbsar files before opening them in Substance 3D Designer

bash

# Verify installed Substance 3D Designer version on Windows
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Substance 3D Designer" /s | findstr /i version

# Verify installed Substance 3D Designer version on macOS
defaults read "/Applications/Adobe Substance 3D Designer.app/Contents/Info.plist" CFBundleShortVersionString