CVE-2025-27182: Adobe After Effects RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-27182 Overview

CVE-2025-27182 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] affecting Adobe After Effects versions 25.1, 24.6.4, and earlier. The flaw allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user when a victim opens a crafted file. Successful exploitation requires user interaction, limiting the attack surface to social engineering or supply chain scenarios involving project files.

Adobe published the security advisory APSB25-23 on April 8, 2025, addressing this issue alongside other After Effects vulnerabilities. The vulnerability impacts both Windows and macOS installations of After Effects.

Critical Impact
Arbitrary code execution under the current user's privileges, enabling attackers to install malware, exfiltrate data, or pivot within the host environment when a malicious After Effects project is opened.

Affected Products

Adobe After Effects 25.1 and earlier
Adobe After Effects 24.6.4 and earlier
Adobe After Effects on Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS

Discovery Timeline

2025-04-08 - CVE-2025-27182 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2025-04-08 - Adobe releases security advisory APSB25-23
2025-04-18 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-27182

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write [CWE-787] within After Effects file parsing routines. When After Effects processes a malformed project or media file, the application writes data past the bounds of an allocated buffer. This memory corruption can overwrite adjacent heap structures, function pointers, or control data used by the application.

An attacker who controls the contents of the malicious file can shape the out-of-bounds write to redirect execution flow. The result is arbitrary code execution within the current user's session. Because After Effects often runs under standard user accounts, the immediate impact aligns with the privileges of the logged-in user, though follow-on privilege escalation is feasible through chained vulnerabilities.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient bounds checking during the parsing of attacker-controlled file structures. The application trusts size or offset fields embedded in the input file without validating them against the destination buffer. Specific technical details have not been published by Adobe in advisory APSB25-23.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local user interaction. A victim must open a malicious After Effects file delivered through email, instant messaging, a compromised website, or a shared project repository. The attack vector is local because the file must be opened on the target system, but the file itself can be delivered remotely.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. See the Adobe After Effects Security Advisory for vendor guidance.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27182

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by AfterFX.exe (Windows) or After Effects.app (macOS), particularly shells, scripting engines, or LOLBins
Adobe After Effects crashes referencing access violations or heap corruption logged in the Windows Event Log or macOS crash reports
After Effects project files (.aep, .aepx) received from untrusted sources or downloaded from unusual domains
Outbound network connections initiated by the After Effects process to non-Adobe infrastructure

Detection Strategies

Monitor process lineage on creative workstations for After Effects spawning unexpected processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, bash, or osascript
Hunt for newly written executables or scripts in user-writable directories immediately following After Effects file open events
Correlate application crashes in After Effects with subsequent suspicious process or network activity within a short time window

Monitoring Recommendations

Inventory all endpoints running Adobe After Effects and validate version compliance against the patched releases
Enable detailed process and file telemetry on workstations used by media, marketing, and post-production teams
Alert on After Effects project files sourced from email attachments or external file-sharing platforms before they are opened

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27182

Immediate Actions Required

Update Adobe After Effects to the patched versions identified in advisory APSB25-23 on all Windows and macOS endpoints
Restrict opening of After Effects project files received from untrusted or unverified sources
Educate creative and production teams about the risk of opening unsolicited .aep and .aepx files

Patch Information

Adobe addressed CVE-2025-27182 in security advisory APSB25-23, released April 8, 2025. Administrators should deploy the updated After Effects builds through the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application or enterprise deployment tooling. Refer to the Adobe After Effects Security Advisory for exact fixed version numbers and download instructions.

Workarounds

Block delivery of After Effects project files at the email gateway when senders are not on an approved list
Run After Effects under standard user accounts without local administrator privileges to limit the blast radius of exploitation
Use application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized child processes from being spawned by After Effects

bash

# Verify installed After Effects version on macOS
defaults read "/Applications/Adobe After Effects 2025/Adobe After Effects 2025.app/Contents/Info.plist" CFBundleShortVersionString

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