CVE-2025-30317: Adobe InDesign Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-30317 Overview

CVE-2025-30317 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Adobe InDesign Desktop. The flaw affects InDesign versions ID20.2, ID19.5.3, and earlier on both Windows and macOS. An attacker who convinces a user to open a crafted file can execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-122] and requires local file access with user interaction. Adobe published a security advisory and patched releases addressing the issue.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation results in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user opening the malicious InDesign document.

Affected Products

• Adobe InDesign Desktop ID20.2 and earlier
• Adobe InDesign Desktop ID19.5.3 and earlier
• Affected platforms: Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-06-10 - CVE-2025-30317 published to the National Vulnerability Database
• 2025-06-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-30317

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a heap-based buffer overflow [CWE-122] in Adobe InDesign Desktop. The flaw occurs when InDesign parses a maliciously crafted document and writes data beyond the bounds of a heap-allocated buffer. Heap corruption of this type can be leveraged to overwrite adjacent allocator metadata or function pointers. An attacker who controls the overflow contents can redirect execution flow and run arbitrary code.

Exploitation runs in the security context of the current user. If the victim operates with administrative privileges, the impact extends to the host. The attack requires local file delivery and user interaction, typically through phishing or social engineering that delivers a weaponized .indd file.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper validation of input length or structure during the parsing of file data into a heap buffer. The parser writes attacker-controlled data past the allocated boundary, corrupting adjacent heap memory. Adobe's advisory APSB25-53 confirms the issue and provides remediated versions.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local with user interaction. An attacker crafts a malicious InDesign document and delivers it to the victim through email, file sharing, or web download. When the victim opens the file in a vulnerable InDesign build, the overflow triggers and the attacker's payload executes. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code is currently available, and the issue is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. See the Adobe InDesign Security Advisory for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30317

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected child processes spawned by InDesign.exe such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or bash
• InDesign process crashes or anomalous memory faults logged in Windows Event Logs or macOS unified logs
• .indd, .indt, or .idml files arriving from untrusted email senders or external file shares
• Outbound network connections initiated by the InDesign process to unknown hosts

Detection Strategies

• Monitor process lineage for InDesign spawning shell interpreters or scripting hosts
• Alert on InDesign processes performing file writes to startup or persistence locations
• Inspect inbound email attachments for InDesign file types and detonate in sandbox environments
• Track installed InDesign versions across the fleet and flag hosts running ID20.2 or ID19.5.3 and earlier

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable endpoint telemetry covering process creation, image loads, and module injection events on workstations running Adobe Creative Cloud
• Correlate InDesign crash events with subsequent process creation and network activity
• Audit access to design asset repositories for unusual file modifications or new file types

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30317

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Adobe InDesign to the fixed versions identified in Adobe security advisory APSB25-53
• Inventory all endpoints running InDesign and prioritize patching for users handling externally sourced documents
• Instruct users to avoid opening InDesign files from untrusted sources until patching is complete

Patch Information

Adobe released patched versions addressing CVE-2025-30317 on both Windows and macOS. Refer to the Adobe InDesign Security Advisory APSB25-53 for the current fixed build numbers and download links. Deploy the updates through Adobe Creative Cloud or enterprise software distribution tooling.

Workarounds

• Block inbound .indd, .indt, and .idml attachments at the email gateway when business processes allow
• Enforce least-privilege user accounts so that exploitation cannot escalate to administrative actions
• Open untrusted InDesign documents only in isolated virtual machines or sandbox environments

# Verify installed Adobe InDesign version on Windows
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\InDesign" /s /f Version

# Verify installed Adobe InDesign version on macOS
defaults read /Applications/Adobe\ InDesign\ 2025/Adobe\ InDesign\ 2025.app/Contents/Info.plist CFBundleShortVersionString