CVE-2025-27168 Overview
CVE-2025-27168 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Adobe Illustrator versions 29.2.1, 28.7.4, and earlier on both Windows and macOS. The flaw allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user when a victim opens a malicious file. Adobe disclosed the issue in security bulletin APSB25-17. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-121] Stack-based Buffer Overflow and [CWE-787] Out-of-bounds Write. Exploitation requires user interaction, which limits remote attack scenarios but remains practical through phishing and social engineering. No public proof-of-concept code or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants attackers arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the logged-in user, enabling malware installation, credential theft, or lateral movement.
Affected Products
- Adobe Illustrator 29.2.1 and earlier (2025 release)
- Adobe Illustrator 28.7.4 and earlier (2024 release)
- Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS installations
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-03-11 - CVE-2025-27168 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-27168
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in Adobe Illustrator's file parsing logic. When the application processes a crafted Illustrator file, it writes data to a stack-allocated buffer without validating input size. This overflow corrupts adjacent stack memory, including saved return addresses and frame pointers.
An attacker who controls the overflow contents can redirect execution flow to attacker-supplied shellcode or use return-oriented programming (ROP) gadgets to bypass mitigations such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP). The resulting code runs with the current user's privileges across both Windows and macOS builds.
The EPSS score is 0.266% with a percentile of 17.772, indicating low predicted exploitation activity at this time. However, Illustrator's widespread use in design and marketing environments makes targeted attacks against specific organizations feasible.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing bounds checking on a length or offset field within a parsed file structure. The vulnerable routine copies attacker-controlled bytes into a fixed-size stack buffer, violating safe memory boundaries as described in [CWE-121] and [CWE-787]. Adobe has not published the specific file format component affected.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local user interaction. An attacker must deliver a malicious .ai, .eps, .pdf, or related Illustrator-supported file to the victim through email attachments, file-sharing services, or compromised websites. The victim must open the file in Illustrator to trigger the overflow. Network-based exploitation without user action is not possible.
No public exploit code or proof-of-concept is available. Refer to the Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-17 for vendor-provided technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27168
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected child processes spawned by Illustrator.exe or Adobe Illustrator on macOS, such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, bash, or osascript.
- Crashes or abnormal terminations of Illustrator when opening files received from external sources.
- Outbound network connections initiated by Illustrator to untrusted hosts shortly after a document is opened.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor process creation events where Illustrator is the parent process and the child process is a shell, scripting engine, or living-off-the-land binary.
- Inspect Windows Error Reporting and macOS crash logs for Illustrator faults referencing stack corruption or access violations.
- Apply YARA rules and file inspection for Illustrator documents containing malformed headers or oversized length fields delivered via email gateways.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Log file open events on user endpoints for Illustrator-supported extensions originating from email, download folders, or removable media.
- Track installed Illustrator versions across the fleet and flag hosts running 29.2.1, 28.7.4, or earlier as out of compliance.
- Correlate user-opened design files with subsequent suspicious process or network activity in your EDR or SIEM.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27168
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Adobe Illustrator to the patched versions referenced in Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-17 on all Windows and macOS endpoints.
- Instruct users not to open Illustrator files received from untrusted senders until patching is complete.
- Verify that DEP, ASLR, and Control Flow Guard are enabled on Windows hosts running Illustrator to raise exploitation cost.
Patch Information
Adobe released fixed builds documented in bulletin APSB25-17. Administrators should deploy the updates through Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop or enterprise software distribution tools such as Microsoft Intune, Jamf, or SCCM. Confirm post-update versions exceed 29.2.1 for the 2025 track and 28.7.4 for the 2024 track.
Workarounds
- Restrict Illustrator file handlers from automatically opening files downloaded from email or web sources by enforcing Mark-of-the-Web on Windows.
- Apply application allowlisting to prevent Illustrator from launching unexpected child processes such as scripting engines.
- Route inbound Illustrator file types through a sandbox or detonation service before delivery to end users.
# Example: Verify installed Illustrator version on Windows
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*" |
Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "*Illustrator*" } |
Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion
# Example: Verify installed Illustrator version on macOS
defaults read "/Applications/Adobe Illustrator 2025/Adobe Illustrator.app/Contents/Info.plist" CFBundleShortVersionString
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
