CVE-2025-30318: Adobe InDesign RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-30318 Overview

CVE-2025-30318 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] affecting Adobe InDesign Desktop. The flaw impacts InDesign versions ID19.5.2, ID20.2, and earlier on both Windows and macOS. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction, specifically that a victim opens a malicious InDesign file. Adobe assigned this issue a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 and published the security advisory APSB25-37 on May 13, 2025.

Critical Impact

An attacker who convinces a user to open a crafted InDesign document can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the logged-in user, leading to full compromise of the user session.

Affected Products

• Adobe InDesign Desktop ID19.5.2 and earlier 19.x releases
• Adobe InDesign Desktop ID20.2 and earlier 20.x releases
• Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS installations of the affected InDesign builds

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-05-13 - Adobe publishes security advisory APSB25-37
• 2025-05-13 - CVE-2025-30318 published to NVD
• 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-30318

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write in the file parsing logic of Adobe InDesign Desktop. When InDesign processes a malformed document, the application writes data past the bounds of an allocated buffer. This memory corruption can overwrite adjacent structures, including function pointers or heap metadata, enabling arbitrary code execution.

Adobe classifies the issue under [CWE-787], which covers writes that occur outside the intended buffer boundary. The attack requires local access in the sense that the malicious file must be opened on the victim machine, but delivery commonly occurs through email attachments, shared cloud storage, or compromised websites. Code executes with the privileges of the user who opened the file. EPSS data places the probability of in-the-wild exploitation in the low range, and no public proof-of-concept is currently available.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient validation of size or offset values read from an untrusted InDesign document. When parsing crafted structures, the application calculates a destination offset or length that exceeds the size of the target buffer. The subsequent write corrupts adjacent memory, which an attacker can shape to redirect control flow.

Attack Vector

An attacker crafts a malicious .indd or related InDesign file and delivers it through phishing, file shares, or web download. When the victim opens the file in a vulnerable InDesign build, the parser triggers the out-of-bounds write. The attacker gains arbitrary code execution under the user account that launched InDesign. No elevated privileges are required, and no authentication to a network service is involved.

No verified public exploitation code is available. Refer to the Adobe InDesign Security Advisory APSB25-37 for vendor-provided technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30318

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected child processes spawned by InDesign.exe on Windows or Adobe InDesign on macOS, particularly shells, scripting engines, or LOLBins
• Crashes or repeated restarts of InDesign correlated with newly received .indd, .idml, or template files
• InDesign processes performing outbound network connections to untrusted hosts shortly after opening a document

Detection Strategies

• Hunt for process lineage where InDesign is the parent of cmd.exe, powershell.exe, wscript.exe, bash, or osascript
• Monitor endpoint telemetry for memory protection events, exception handler abuse, or DEP/ASLR violations involving InDesign modules
• Inspect inbound mail and file-sharing channels for InDesign documents originating from external or unverified senders

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward Adobe application logs, EDR process events, and crash dumps to a central SIEM for correlation
• Track InDesign version inventory across endpoints to identify hosts still running ID19.5.2, ID20.2, or earlier
• Alert on file write activity by InDesign into autorun, startup, or scheduled task locations

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30318

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Adobe InDesign Desktop to the fixed versions listed in APSB25-37 on all Windows and macOS endpoints
• Restrict opening of InDesign files received from external or untrusted sources until patching is complete
• Communicate phishing awareness guidance to design and marketing teams that routinely handle external InDesign documents

Patch Information

Adobe addressed CVE-2025-30318 in the security update documented in Adobe Security Bulletin APSB25-37. Administrators should deploy the fixed InDesign builds through the Creative Cloud Desktop application or enterprise update channels. Confirm post-update version strings against the advisory before closing remediation tickets.

Workarounds

• Block or quarantine InDesign file types at the email gateway when sourced from external senders
• Run InDesign under standard user accounts without local administrator privileges to limit post-exploitation impact
• Apply application allowlisting to prevent InDesign from launching scripting interpreters or unsigned child processes

# Verify installed Adobe InDesign version on macOS
/usr/bin/mdls -name kMDItemVersion "/Applications/Adobe InDesign 2024/Adobe InDesign 2024.app"
/usr/bin/mdls -name kMDItemVersion "/Applications/Adobe InDesign 2025/Adobe InDesign 2025.app"

# 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