CVE-2025-54223 Overview
CVE-2025-54223 is a Use After Free vulnerability [CWE-416] affecting Adobe InCopy versions 20.4, 19.5.4, and earlier. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. The flaw requires user interaction: a victim must open a maliciously crafted file in InCopy. Adobe published the issue under security advisory APSB25-80 on August 12, 2025. The vulnerability affects InCopy installations on both Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS.
Critical Impact
Arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user when a victim opens a malicious InCopy file.
Affected Products
- Adobe InCopy 20.4 and earlier (version 20.x branch)
- Adobe InCopy 19.5.4 and earlier (version 19.x branch)
- Adobe InCopy on Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-08-12 - CVE-2025-54223 published to NVD and Adobe releases security advisory APSB25-80
- 2025-08-13 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-54223
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a Use After Free condition [CWE-416] in Adobe InCopy. Use After Free flaws occur when an application continues to reference memory after it has been freed. An attacker who controls the contents of a malicious InCopy document can manipulate the freed memory region to influence program execution. This typically allows hijacking of a function pointer, virtual table entry, or object reference that the application dereferences after the underlying allocation is released.
The attack vector is local and requires user interaction. The victim must open a crafted file. Code executes with the privileges of the current user, so a standard user account limits the immediate blast radius, while administrative accounts give the attacker full control of the host. The Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) data places exploitation likelihood in the lower percentile range, and no public proof-of-concept or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported at the time of publication.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper memory management within InCopy's file parsing logic. The application frees an object during processing of a malformed document structure but retains a dangling pointer to that object. Subsequent operations dereference the stale pointer, allowing attacker-controlled data placed in the reclaimed allocation to redirect execution flow.
Attack Vector
The attacker delivers a malicious .icml, .icma, or related InCopy document via email, file share, or web download. Opening the document in a vulnerable InCopy build triggers the Use After Free during parsing. The attacker then chains the memory corruption with techniques such as heap grooming and Return-Oriented Programming (ROP) to achieve arbitrary code execution under the current user's context.
No public exploit code is available for CVE-2025-54223. See the Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-80 for vendor technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54223
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected child processes spawned by InCopy.exe (Windows) or the Adobe InCopy process (macOS), such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, bash, or osascript.
- InCopy document files (.icml, .icma, .incx, .indd) received from untrusted senders or downloaded from unverified sources.
- Crash dumps or Windows Error Reporting events referencing InCopy modules immediately after a document is opened.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor process creation events where the parent process is InCopy and the child process is a scripting or shell interpreter.
- Alert on InCopy processes performing network connections to external hosts shortly after a document is opened.
- Inspect file write activity by InCopy outside of expected document and preferences directories, which can indicate payload staging.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Collect endpoint telemetry on Adobe Creative Cloud application versions to identify hosts still running InCopy 20.4, 19.5.4, or earlier.
- Forward email gateway logs for attachments with InCopy file extensions and correlate against user open events.
- Track Adobe Creative Cloud updater activity to confirm that patches from advisory APSB25-80 have been applied across the fleet.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54223
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Adobe InCopy to the fixed versions listed in Adobe security bulletin APSB25-80 on every Windows and macOS endpoint.
- Identify endpoints running vulnerable InCopy builds (20.4, 19.5.4, and earlier) through software inventory tooling and prioritize patching.
- Instruct users to avoid opening InCopy documents received from untrusted sources until patches are deployed.
Patch Information
Adobe released fixed versions of InCopy on August 12, 2025 as part of security advisory APSB25-80. Refer to the Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-80 for the specific patched build numbers and download links. Apply updates through Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop or enterprise deployment tooling.
Workarounds
- Restrict execution of InCopy to standard user accounts to limit the impact of successful exploitation.
- Block inbound InCopy file attachments (.icml, .icma, .incx, .indd) at the email gateway for users who do not require them.
- Enable operating system exploit mitigations such as Windows Defender Exploit Guard or macOS Hardened Runtime protections for the InCopy process.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
