CVE-2025-47126: Adobe FrameMaker RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-47126 Overview

CVE-2025-47126 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] affecting Adobe Framemaker versions 2020.8, 2022.6, and earlier. The flaw allows attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction, specifically the victim opening a malicious file crafted by the attacker.

Adobe published the issue in security advisory APSB25-66 on July 8, 2025. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 with a local attack vector. No public proof-of-concept code or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running Adobe Framemaker, enabling installation of malware, data theft, or lateral movement.

Affected Products

Adobe Framemaker 2020.8 and earlier 2020.x releases
Adobe Framemaker 2022.6 and earlier 2022.x releases
Microsoft Windows installations running affected Framemaker versions

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-08 - CVE-2025-47126 published to NVD
2025-07-08 - Adobe releases security advisory APSB25-66
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-47126

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified as an out-of-bounds write [CWE-787] in Adobe Framemaker. Out-of-bounds writes occur when a program writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of an allocated buffer. In Framemaker, parsing logic for specific document file formats fails to validate boundaries before writing attacker-controlled data to memory.

An attacker who controls the contents of a Framemaker document file can overwrite adjacent memory structures. This corruption can be steered to overwrite function pointers, virtual table entries, or saved return addresses, yielding control of execution flow.

Exploitation runs code under the security context of the logged-in user. On standard Windows workstations, this typically grants the attacker the user's full desktop privileges and access to their files.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient bounds checking during the parsing of structured fields inside Framemaker document files. The parser trusts size or offset values embedded in the file, then writes data into a fixed-size buffer without verifying that the destination remains within allocated bounds.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local and requires user interaction. An attacker delivers a malicious .fm or related Framemaker document through email, file share, or web download. When the victim opens the file in Adobe Framemaker, the parser triggers the out-of-bounds write and executes the attacker's payload. No network access or elevated privileges are required on the target host.

The vulnerability is described in prose because no verified proof-of-concept code has been published. Refer to the Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-66 for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47126

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by FrameMaker.exe, particularly cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or rundll32.exe
Crash events or Windows Error Reporting entries referencing FrameMaker.exe with access violation codes
Framemaker document files (.fm, .book, .mif) received from untrusted external sources

Detection Strategies

Monitor process lineage for Framemaker spawning shells, scripting interpreters, or LOLBins indicative of post-exploitation behavior
Hunt for suspicious file writes or registry modifications performed by the FrameMaker.exe process
Inspect inbound email attachments and downloads for Framemaker document formats and route them through sandbox detonation

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable EDR telemetry on workstations with Framemaker installed and alert on anomalous Framemaker child processes
Correlate Framemaker crash events in the Windows Application event log with subsequent suspicious activity on the same host
Maintain an inventory of endpoints running Framemaker 2020.x and 2022.x to scope detection coverage

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47126

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the Adobe security update referenced in advisory APSB25-66 to all Framemaker installations
Identify hosts running vulnerable Framemaker 2020.8 or 2022.6 and earlier through software inventory tools
Instruct users not to open Framemaker documents received from untrusted sources until patched

Patch Information

Adobe addressed CVE-2025-47126 in updates documented in Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-66. Administrators should update Framemaker 2020 to the version succeeding 2020.8 and Framemaker 2022 to the version succeeding 2022.6, per Adobe's advisory.

Workarounds

Restrict opening of Framemaker documents to files originating from trusted internal sources
Run Framemaker under a standard user account rather than an administrator account to limit post-exploitation impact
Block inbound Framemaker file extensions at the email gateway until patching is complete

bash

# Inventory Windows hosts running vulnerable Framemaker versions via PowerShell
Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* |
  Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like 'Adobe FrameMaker*' } |
  Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, InstallLocation