CVE-2025-54211: Adobe InDesign Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-54211 Overview

CVE-2025-54211 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability [CWE-122] affecting Adobe InDesign Desktop. The flaw exists in versions 20.4, 19.5.4, and earlier across Windows and macOS platforms. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction, specifically that a victim opens a malicious InDesign file. Adobe published the security advisory APSB25-79 to address this issue.

Critical Impact
An attacker who convinces a user to open a crafted InDesign document can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the logged-in user, enabling malware deployment and lateral movement.

Affected Products

Adobe InDesign Desktop 20.4 and earlier 20.x releases
Adobe InDesign Desktop 19.5.4 and earlier 19.x releases
Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS host platforms running affected InDesign versions

Discovery Timeline

2025-08-12 - CVE-2025-54211 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2025-08-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-54211

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a heap-based buffer overflow [CWE-122] in Adobe InDesign's file parsing routines. InDesign processes complex document formats containing structured records, embedded resources, and metadata. When the application parses a malformed document, it writes data beyond the bounds of a heap-allocated buffer. Adjacent heap memory becomes corrupted, including object pointers, function pointers, and allocator metadata. Attackers can shape the heap layout to overwrite control data and redirect execution. The result is arbitrary code execution within the security context of the user running InDesign.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient validation of size or length fields read from a document file before copying attacker-controlled content into a fixed-size heap buffer. Without bounds checking, oversized fields cause the copy operation to overrun the allocation. Adobe's advisory APSB25-79 does not disclose the specific parser component, but the CWE-122 classification confirms heap corruption rather than stack corruption.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local and requires user interaction. An attacker crafts a malicious InDesign file (commonly .indd, .idml, or related supported formats) and delivers it through phishing email, file sharing services, or compromised download sites. When the victim opens the file in a vulnerable InDesign version, the parser triggers the overflow. The CVSS vector indicates high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability with no privileges required beyond opening the file.

No public proof-of-concept has been published, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. See the Adobe InDesign Security Advisory APSB25-79 for vendor details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54211

Indicators of Compromise

InDesign processes (InDesign.exe on Windows, Adobe InDesign on macOS) spawning command interpreters such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or /bin/sh
Unexpected outbound network connections initiated by the InDesign process shortly after a document open event
Creation of executable files or scripts in user-writable directories by the InDesign process
Crash dumps or Windows Error Reporting events referencing heap corruption in InDesign modules

Detection Strategies

Hunt for InDesign process trees that contain child processes outside the normal Adobe ecosystem (Creative Cloud helpers, font services)
Inspect documents originating from external email or untrusted sources before they reach designer workstations
Correlate file open telemetry with subsequent process injection, persistence, or credential access behaviors

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable endpoint process and file telemetry on all workstations that run InDesign, particularly in creative and marketing teams
Forward Adobe application logs and operating system crash telemetry to a centralized SIEM for retrospective analysis
Alert on InDesign loading unusual modules or accessing sensitive locations such as LSASS, browser credential stores, or SSH keys

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54211

Immediate Actions Required

Update Adobe InDesign to the fixed versions identified in Adobe advisory APSB25-79 on all Windows and macOS endpoints
Inventory installations through Adobe Creative Cloud admin tools and confirm no users remain on versions 20.4 or 19.5.4 and earlier
Instruct users to avoid opening InDesign documents received from untrusted senders until patches are applied

Patch Information

Adobe released patched versions of InDesign Desktop on 2025-08-12 as documented in the Adobe InDesign Security Advisory APSB25-79. Administrators should deploy the update through Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop or enterprise software distribution systems. Verify the installed build number after deployment to confirm remediation.

Workarounds

Block inbound email attachments with InDesign file extensions (.indd, .idml, .indt, .indb) at the secure email gateway until patching is complete
Restrict opening of InDesign files to documents originating from known internal sources or vetted repositories
Run InDesign under standard user accounts rather than administrative accounts to limit the impact of successful exploitation

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 "Adobe InDesign*" } |
  Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion