CVE-2025-47124: Adobe Framemaker RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-47124 Overview

CVE-2025-47124 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] affecting Adobe Framemaker versions 2020.8, 2022.6, and earlier. Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. The flaw requires local access and user interaction, as the victim must open a malicious file crafted by the attacker.

Adobe documented the vulnerability in security bulletin APSB25-66 and released fixed builds. Framemaker is a structured authoring application used in enterprise documentation pipelines, making targeted phishing with weaponized documents a realistic delivery path.

Critical Impact
Attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution as the logged-in user when a victim opens a crafted Framemaker file, enabling malware installation, credential theft, and lateral movement.

Affected Products

Adobe Framemaker 2020 (versions through 2020.8)
Adobe Framemaker 2022 (versions through 2022.6)
Microsoft Windows hosts running affected Framemaker installations

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-08 - CVE-2025-47124 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2025-07-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-47124

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write condition triggered during the parsing of a malformed Framemaker document. When Framemaker processes attacker-controlled structures in the file, the application writes data beyond the bounds of an allocated buffer. This memory corruption can overwrite adjacent objects, function pointers, or control structures used by the application.

The issue maps to [CWE-787], a memory-safety class commonly leveraged for code execution because the writes can be steered to overwrite values the application later dereferences. With careful heap layout, an attacker turns the corruption primitive into a controlled instruction pointer, achieving execution under the user's security context.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient bounds checking in Framemaker's file parsing logic. Adobe has not published low-level details, but the APSB25-66 advisory confirms the out-of-bounds write classification. Parsing routines accept attacker-controlled length or offset fields and use them to index into fixed-size buffers without validation.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local with required user interaction. An attacker delivers a malicious Framemaker file via email, web download, or shared storage. When the victim opens the file in a vulnerable Framemaker build, the parser triggers the corruption and the embedded payload executes with the user's privileges. No network access to the host is required, but social engineering is essential.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The CWE-787 class has a strong historical record of weaponization in document-parsing applications.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47124

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by FrameMaker.exe, particularly cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or script interpreters
Framemaker process crashes or Windows Error Reporting events referencing access violations during file open
.fm, .book, or .mif files arriving via email attachments or downloads from untrusted sources
Outbound network connections initiated by FrameMaker.exe to previously unseen domains shortly after a document is opened

Detection Strategies

Monitor process lineage for Framemaker spawning shells, LOLBins, or download utilities
Alert on writes to user-writable autorun locations (Startup folder, Run keys) by Framemaker or its child processes
Inspect inbound email and web traffic for Framemaker file types from external senders
Correlate Framemaker crash events with subsequent suspicious process or network activity on the same host

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable Windows Defender Exploit Guard or equivalent for memory corruption mitigations on Framemaker installations
Forward Sysmon EventID 1 (process create) and EventID 11 (file create) telemetry to centralized logging
Track Framemaker version inventory across endpoints to identify unpatched hosts at risk
Review endpoint protection alerts for behavioral detections involving Framemaker child processes

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47124

Immediate Actions Required

Update Adobe Framemaker to the fixed releases listed in APSB25-66 on every Windows host
Inventory all Framemaker installations and prioritize patching for users who handle externally sourced documents
Block inbound Framemaker file attachments at the email gateway from untrusted senders until patching completes
Brief Framemaker users on the risk of opening unsolicited .fm, .book, and .mif files

Patch Information

Adobe released fixed builds beyond Framemaker 2020.8 and 2022.6. Refer to Adobe security bulletin APSB25-66 for the exact patched versions, download links, and installation guidance. Apply the update through standard enterprise software distribution channels.

Workarounds

Restrict Framemaker execution to a hardened subset of workstations using application allowlisting
Apply Windows Attack Surface Reduction rules that block Office and related applications from spawning child processes
Open untrusted Framemaker documents only within isolated virtual machines or sandboxed environments
Remove Framemaker from systems where it is no longer required to reduce attack surface

bash

# Query installed Framemaker version on Windows endpoints
Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* |
  Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "*FrameMaker*" } |
  Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, InstallDate