CVE-2025-47133: Adobe FrameMaker RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-47133 Overview

CVE-2025-47133 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] affecting Adobe FrameMaker versions 2020.8, 2022.6, and earlier. The flaw allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user when a victim opens a malicious file. Adobe published the issue on July 8, 2025, and addressed it in security advisory APSB25-66.

Exploitation requires user interaction, limiting mass exploitation scenarios. However, FrameMaker is widely deployed in technical documentation environments where users routinely process untrusted document files from external authors and contributors.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution under the privileges of the logged-in user, enabling installation of malware, data theft, or lateral movement from the compromised workstation.

Affected Products

Adobe FrameMaker 2020 (versions up to and including 2020.8)
Adobe FrameMaker 2022 (versions up to and including 2022.6)
Microsoft Windows hosts running affected FrameMaker builds

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-08 - CVE-2025-47133 published to NVD
2025-07-08 - Adobe releases Security Advisory APSB25-66
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-47133

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write condition in Adobe FrameMaker's file parsing routines. FrameMaker handles complex structured documents including FM, MIF, and book file formats. When the application processes a maliciously crafted file, it writes data beyond the bounds of an allocated memory buffer.

Out-of-bounds writes corrupt adjacent memory structures. Attackers can overwrite function pointers, virtual table entries, or return addresses on the stack to redirect execution flow. The result is arbitrary code execution within the FrameMaker process, running with the privileges of the current user.

The attack vector is local, requiring the victim to open a crafted document. Phishing campaigns, malicious downloads, and shared document repositories are realistic delivery mechanisms in enterprise documentation workflows.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient bounds validation during parsing of structured document fields. FrameMaker trusts size or offset values embedded in the input file without verifying them against the destination buffer length. A specially crafted value forces the parser to write attacker-controlled bytes outside the allocated region.

Attack Vector

An attacker crafts a malicious FrameMaker document and delivers it through email attachments, file shares, or web downloads. When a user opens the file in a vulnerable FrameMaker build, the parser triggers the out-of-bounds write. The corrupted memory layout enables hijacking the instruction pointer to execute shellcode embedded in the document. Refer to the Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-66 for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47133

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected FrameMaker.exe child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, rundll32.exe, or wscript.exe
FrameMaker crash events in Windows Application logs referencing access violations or heap corruption
FrameMaker process writing executable files to user-writable directories like %APPDATA%, %TEMP%, or %LOCALAPPDATA%
Outbound network connections originating from FrameMaker.exe to previously unseen domains or IP addresses

Detection Strategies

Monitor process lineage for FrameMaker spawning interpreters, scripting hosts, or LOLBins
Hunt for FrameMaker module loads of unsigned DLLs from non-standard paths
Inspect inbound .fm, .mif, .book, and .fmx files at email and web gateways for anomalous structure or size
Correlate FrameMaker crash telemetry with subsequent process or file system activity within the same user session

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable detailed process creation auditing (Event ID 4688) with command-line logging on workstations running FrameMaker
Collect EDR telemetry covering image loads, file writes, and network connections attributed to FrameMaker.exe
Track FrameMaker version inventory across endpoints to identify hosts still running 2020.8, 2022.6, or earlier
Alert on document files originating from external sources that are opened by FrameMaker shortly after delivery

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47133

Immediate Actions Required

Inventory all endpoints running Adobe FrameMaker and identify versions at or below 2020.8 and 2022.6
Apply the updates referenced in Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-66 to all affected systems
Restrict opening of FrameMaker documents received from untrusted or external sources until patching is complete
Educate documentation teams on the risk of opening unsolicited .fm, .mif, and .book files

Patch Information

Adobe addressed CVE-2025-47133 in the updates listed in Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-66. Administrators should upgrade FrameMaker 2020 and FrameMaker 2022 to the fixed builds identified in the advisory. No vendor-supplied workaround replaces installing the patched release.

Workarounds

Block delivery of FrameMaker file types from external email senders at the mail gateway
Open suspect documents inside an isolated virtual machine or sandboxed environment disconnected from production resources
Run FrameMaker under a standard user account to limit the blast radius of successful exploitation
Enforce application allowlisting to prevent child processes spawned by FrameMaker from executing

bash

# Query installed FrameMaker version on Windows endpoints
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\FrameMaker" /s /v Version

# Identify FrameMaker file types arriving from external sources (PowerShell)
Get-ChildItem -Path $env:USERPROFILE\Downloads -Include *.fm,*.mif,*.book -Recurse |
  Where-Object { (Get-Item $_.FullName).Attributes -match 'Archive' } |
  Select-Object FullName, LastWriteTime