CVE-2025-54225: Adobe InDesign Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2025-54225 Overview

CVE-2025-54225 is a Use After Free vulnerability [CWE-416] affecting Adobe InDesign Desktop versions 20.4, 19.5.4, and earlier. The flaw allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user when a victim opens a crafted file. Exploitation requires user interaction, which limits remote weaponization but remains practical through phishing and supply chain delivery of malicious InDesign documents on Windows and macOS workstations.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants attackers arbitrary code execution under the privileges of the user running InDesign, enabling malware installation, credential theft, and lateral movement from creative and publishing endpoints.

Affected Products

Adobe InDesign Desktop 20.4 and earlier
Adobe InDesign Desktop 19.5.4 and earlier
Windows and Apple macOS platforms running affected InDesign builds

Discovery Timeline

2025-08-12 - CVE-2025-54225 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-54225

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a Use After Free condition [CWE-416] in Adobe InDesign Desktop. The application references memory after it has been released, leading to undefined behavior that an attacker can shape into controlled code execution. When InDesign parses a malformed document, freed object pointers remain reachable through internal structures. Subsequent operations on these dangling pointers allow attackers to redirect execution flow.

The issue is local in nature and requires the user to open a malicious .indd or related InDesign file. Once execution begins, the payload runs with the privileges of the logged-in user. On systems where designers operate with administrative rights, the impact extends to system-wide compromise.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper lifecycle management of heap-allocated objects within InDesign's file parsing routines. The application frees an object but retains references that are later dereferenced. Attackers craft document structures that force this sequence and overlay attacker-controlled data in the reclaimed memory region.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local with required user interaction. An attacker delivers a malicious InDesign file through email attachment, shared storage, or compromised design asset repositories. When the victim opens the file in a vulnerable InDesign version, the parser triggers the Use After Free and executes attacker-controlled code. No authentication is required, and the attack does not depend on network exposure of the host.

See the Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-79 for the official technical description.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54225

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by InDesign.exe on Windows or Adobe InDesign on macOS, particularly shells, scripting engines, or LOLBins
InDesign processes initiating outbound network connections to untrusted hosts shortly after a document open event
.indd, .idml, or .indt files arriving from external email senders or untrusted shares before the patch is applied
Crash reports referencing heap corruption or access violations in InDesign modules

Detection Strategies

Monitor process lineage for InDesign spawning cmd.exe, powershell.exe, bash, osascript, or other interpreters
Alert on InDesign writing executable content to user-writable directories such as %APPDATA%, %TEMP%, or ~/Library/Application Support
Correlate document open telemetry with subsequent file write and network activity to surface exploitation chains

Monitoring Recommendations

Collect endpoint process, file, and network telemetry from systems running Adobe Creative Cloud applications
Track Adobe InDesign version inventory to identify hosts running 20.4, 19.5.4, or earlier builds
Review crash and Windows Error Reporting (WER) logs for InDesign faults that may indicate exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54225

Immediate Actions Required

Update Adobe InDesign Desktop to the fixed versions specified in Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-79
Inventory all endpoints running InDesign and prioritize patching for users who routinely open externally sourced documents
Restrict execution of InDesign files originating from untrusted email senders or external file shares until patching is complete

Patch Information

Adobe addressed CVE-2025-54225 in the security update described in Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-79. Administrators should deploy the update through Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop or enterprise software distribution tooling. Verify successful installation by confirming the InDesign version reported in the Help menu matches the patched build listed in the advisory.

Workarounds

Block delivery of InDesign file types (.indd, .idml, .indt) from external senders at the email gateway until patches are deployed
Operate InDesign under standard user accounts rather than administrator accounts to limit the impact of code execution
Use application allowlisting and attack surface reduction rules to prevent InDesign from launching scripting interpreters and shells

bash

# Configuration example
# Verify installed InDesign version on macOS
mdls -name kMDItemVersion "/Applications/Adobe InDesign 2025/Adobe InDesign 2025.app"

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