CVE-2025-54239: Adobe After Effects Information Disclosure

CVE-2025-54239 Overview

CVE-2025-54239 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability [CWE-125] in Adobe After Effects versions 25.3, 24.6.7 and earlier. The flaw allows an attacker to read memory outside the intended buffer, potentially disclosing sensitive information from the application process. Exploitation requires local user interaction, specifically opening a maliciously crafted file in After Effects. The vulnerability affects installations on both Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS platforms. Adobe published a security bulletin (APSB25-86) addressing this issue.

Critical Impact
A crafted project or media file can trigger memory disclosure in Adobe After Effects, exposing sensitive process memory to an attacker.

Affected Products

Adobe After Effects 25.3 and earlier
Adobe After Effects 24.6.7 and earlier
Deployments on Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS

Discovery Timeline

2025-09-09 - CVE-2025-54239 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-54239

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds read in Adobe After Effects file parsing logic. When After Effects processes a malformed input file, the application reads memory beyond the bounds of an allocated buffer. The read operation can return residual process memory to attacker-controlled parsing paths.

The exposed memory may contain fragments of other project data, credentials cached in the process, or pointers that assist further exploitation. Because the attack vector is local and requires user interaction, an attacker must deliver the crafted file through email, download, or shared project workflows. The confidentiality impact is high, while integrity and availability are not affected.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient bounds checking when parsing structured fields inside a media or project file. The parser trusts a length or offset value from the file without validating it against the actual buffer size, producing a read past the allocated region. This class of flaw is tracked under CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read.

Attack Vector

An attacker crafts a malicious After Effects project or supported media file and delivers it to a target user. The victim opens the file in a vulnerable version of After Effects, triggering the parser flaw. The application discloses memory contents that may be exfiltrated through error output, rendered artifacts, or subsequent attacker-controlled logic within the file. No network access or elevated privileges are required.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code has been published for CVE-2025-54239. Refer to the Adobe After Effects Security Bulletin (APSB25-86) for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54239

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected After Effects process crashes or abnormal termination when opening third-party project files
After Effects processes reading from unusual file paths such as email attachments or temporary download directories
Outbound network connections initiated by AfterFX.exe shortly after opening an untrusted project

Detection Strategies

Inventory endpoints running Adobe After Effects and flag versions at or below 25.3 and 24.6.7
Monitor file open events for After Effects processes referencing files from untrusted sources such as browser downloads or mail clients
Correlate After Effects crash telemetry with recent file-open events to identify probable exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable process and file telemetry from creative workstations and forward it to a centralized analytics platform
Alert on child processes spawned by AfterFX.exe or After Effects that deviate from the normal rendering workflow
Track version compliance for Adobe Creative Cloud applications and generate alerts when unpatched builds are detected

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54239

Immediate Actions Required

Update Adobe After Effects to the patched version identified in Adobe security bulletin APSB25-86
Instruct users to avoid opening After Effects project files received from untrusted or unverified sources
Restrict execution of Adobe Creative Cloud applications to accounts that do not hold administrative rights on the workstation

Patch Information

Adobe released fixed builds of After Effects as documented in the Adobe After Effects Security Bulletin (APSB25-86). Administrators should deploy the update through Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop or their managed software distribution channel. Verify installed versions after deployment and confirm they exceed 25.3 and 24.6.7 respectively.

Workarounds

Block delivery of After Effects project file types (.aep, .aepx) from external email senders where feasible
Open untrusted media in an isolated virtual machine or sandbox before importing into production workstations
Apply application allowlisting to prevent After Effects from launching helper binaries not required for standard use

bash

# Verify installed Adobe After Effects version on Windows
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\After Effects" /s | findstr /i version

# Verify installed Adobe After Effects version on macOS
defaults read "/Applications/Adobe After Effects 2025/Adobe After Effects 2025.app/Contents/Info.plist" CFBundleShortVersionString