CVE-2025-54207: Adobe InDesign RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-54207 Overview

CVE-2025-54207 affects Adobe InDesign Desktop versions 20.4, 19.5.4, and earlier. The vulnerability stems from an Access of Uninitialized Pointer condition [CWE-824] that attackers can leverage to achieve arbitrary code execution. Exploitation runs in the context of the current user, inheriting their privileges and access rights.

The flaw requires user interaction. A victim must open a malicious InDesign file crafted by the attacker. Adobe published the security advisory APSB25-79 documenting this issue alongside related InDesign vulnerabilities.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation enables arbitrary code execution under the current user's privileges, allowing attackers to install malware, steal data, or pivot within the environment after a victim opens a malicious file.

Affected Products

Adobe InDesign Desktop version 20.4 and earlier
Adobe InDesign Desktop version 19.5.4 and earlier
Affected platforms: Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS

Discovery Timeline

2025-08-12 - CVE-2025-54207 published to NVD
2025-08-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-54207

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-824] Access of Uninitialized Pointer. InDesign reads or dereferences a pointer before code paths assign it a valid value. The result is undefined behavior that an attacker can shape into a controlled memory access primitive.

The issue impacts both Windows and macOS builds of InDesign Desktop. The attack vector is local, meaning the attacker delivers a malicious document that the victim opens with a vulnerable InDesign installation. The scope is unchanged, but confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are all high once exploitation succeeds.

No public proof-of-concept code exists at the time of publication. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EPSS data indicates a low current probability of observed exploitation.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper initialization of a pointer used during file parsing. When InDesign processes specific structures in a crafted document, code paths reach a dereference operation without guaranteeing prior assignment. The uninitialized value points to attacker-influenceable memory, enabling subsequent reads or writes to corrupt program state.

Attack Vector

The attacker crafts a malicious .indd or related InDesign document. The file is delivered through email, file sharing services, or web downloads. When the victim opens the document in a vulnerable InDesign version, the parser triggers the uninitialized pointer access. The attacker chains this primitive to redirect execution flow and run shellcode in the victim's user session.

No verified exploit code is available. Refer to the Adobe InDesign Security Advisory APSB25-79 for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54207

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned from InDesign.exe on Windows or the InDesign process on macOS, particularly cmd.exe, powershell.exe, wscript.exe, or shell utilities
InDesign processes initiating outbound network connections to unknown hosts shortly after opening a document
Creation of executable files or persistence artifacts in user-writable directories following document open events
InDesign document files (.indd, .idml) received from untrusted sources or with anomalous file sizes

Detection Strategies

Monitor process lineage for InDesign spawning interpreter or shell processes, which is anomalous for normal document workflows
Inspect crash telemetry for access violations or segmentation faults inside InDesign.exe during document parsing
Correlate document open events with subsequent file write, registry modification, or scheduled task creation activity

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable endpoint telemetry to capture process creation, command-line arguments, and parent-child relationships for InDesign
Forward Windows Event Logs and macOS unified logs covering application crashes and exception events to a centralized analysis platform
Establish baseline network behavior for the InDesign process and alert on deviations such as connections to file-hosting or command-and-control infrastructure

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54207

Immediate Actions Required

Update Adobe InDesign Desktop to the patched versions specified in Adobe Security Bulletin APSB25-79 on all Windows and macOS endpoints
Inventory InDesign installations across the environment and prioritize patching for workstations handling externally sourced documents
Instruct users not to open InDesign files received from untrusted senders until patching is verified

Patch Information

Adobe released fixed versions documented in the Adobe InDesign Security Advisory APSB25-79. Apply the updates through the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application or enterprise deployment tooling. Confirm the installed build matches or exceeds the fixed version after deployment.

Workarounds

Restrict the opening of InDesign documents from external sources through email gateway and web proxy policies that quarantine .indd and .idml attachments
Apply least-privilege principles so InDesign runs under standard user accounts, limiting the impact of successful exploitation
Use application allowlisting to block child process execution of interpreters and shells from the InDesign process tree

bash

# Verify installed Adobe InDesign version on macOS
defaults read "/Applications/Adobe InDesign 2024/Adobe InDesign 2024.app/Contents/Info.plist" CFBundleShortVersionString

# Verify installed Adobe InDesign version on Windows (PowerShell)
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*" |
  Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "*InDesign*" } |
  Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion