CVE-2025-30324 Overview
CVE-2025-30324 is an integer underflow vulnerability [CWE-191] affecting Adobe Photoshop Desktop. The flaw exists in versions 26.5, 25.12.2, and earlier. Attackers can exploit this issue to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction. A victim must open a malicious file crafted by the attacker. The vulnerability impacts Photoshop installations on both Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS platforms. Adobe published the corresponding security bulletin APSB25-40 to address the issue. No public proof-of-concept code or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported as of the last NVD update.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running Photoshop, potentially leading to full compromise of the affected workstation.
Affected Products
- Adobe Photoshop Desktop version 26.5 and earlier
- Adobe Photoshop Desktop version 25.12.2 and earlier
- Apple macOS and Microsoft Windows installations of the affected Photoshop versions
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-13 - CVE-2025-30324 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2025-05-22 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-30324
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is classified as an integer underflow, also known as a wrap or wraparound condition [CWE-191]. An integer underflow occurs when an arithmetic operation produces a value below the minimum representable value for the integer type. The result wraps around to a large positive value. In Photoshop, this likely happens during the parsing of attacker-controlled fields in an image file. The miscalculated value is then used in subsequent memory operations, such as buffer allocations or size checks. The downstream effect is memory corruption that an attacker can shape into arbitrary code execution. The attack vector is local, and successful exploitation grants the attacker code execution with the privileges of the logged-in user.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper validation of size or length fields read from an untrusted file format parsed by Photoshop. When the parser performs arithmetic on these values, the result underflows the expected range. The corrupted size is then used to drive memory copy or allocation routines, breaking memory safety assumptions.
Attack Vector
An attacker crafts a malicious image or project file containing manipulated header or chunk size fields. The attacker delivers the file through phishing, a watering hole site, or a shared file repository. When the victim opens the file in a vulnerable Photoshop version, the parser triggers the underflow and executes attacker-controlled code in the user context.
No verified public exploit code is available. See the Adobe Photoshop Security Advisory APSB25-40 for vendor-supplied technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30324
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected child processes spawned by Photoshop.exe on Windows or the Adobe Photoshop process on macOS, such as command shells or script interpreters.
- Photoshop process crashes or anomalous memory access violations logged immediately after opening an image file received from an external source.
- Outbound network connections initiated by the Photoshop process to unknown or recently registered domains.
- Suspicious image files (.psd, .psb, or other supported formats) sourced from email attachments or untrusted downloads.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor endpoint telemetry for process lineage anomalies where Photoshop spawns scripting hosts, command shells, or LOLBins.
- Apply behavioral detection rules that flag file write or registry modification activity originating from Photoshop processes.
- Inspect crash dump telemetry for repeated access violations in Photoshop image-parsing modules, which may indicate exploitation attempts.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable centralized logging of process creation events from creative workstations and forward them to a SIEM for correlation.
- Track Photoshop version inventory across the fleet to identify hosts still running vulnerable builds.
- Alert on Photoshop processes loading unsigned modules or initiating outbound network traffic outside of Adobe update endpoints.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30324
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Adobe Photoshop to the fixed versions identified in Adobe Security Bulletin APSB25-40.
- Inventory all systems running Photoshop 26.5, 25.12.2, or earlier and prioritize patching workstations used by users who handle external files.
- Instruct users to avoid opening Photoshop files from untrusted sources, including email attachments and unknown download links.
Patch Information
Adobe addressed CVE-2025-30324 in updates released alongside security bulletin APSB25-40. Administrators should deploy the patched builds through the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application or enterprise deployment tooling. Refer to the Adobe Photoshop Security Advisory for the exact fixed version numbers and download instructions.
Workarounds
- Restrict Photoshop usage to standard user accounts to limit the impact of code execution under the current user context.
- Apply application allowlisting to prevent Photoshop from launching child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or bash.
- Use email and web gateway controls to block or sandbox inbound Photoshop file formats from untrusted senders until patching is complete.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
