CVE-2025-54279 Overview
CVE-2025-54279 is a Use After Free vulnerability [CWE-416] affecting Adobe Animate versions 23.0.13, 24.0.10, and earlier. The flaw allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user when a victim opens a malicious file. Exploitation requires user interaction, which limits remote, automated attack scenarios but remains effective in targeted campaigns using social engineering. Adobe published the fix in security advisory APSB25-97 on October 15, 2025.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation yields arbitrary code execution at the privilege level of the logged-in user, enabling attackers to install malware, exfiltrate data, or pivot inside the network.
Affected Products
- Adobe Animate 23.0.13 and earlier
- Adobe Animate 24.0.10 and earlier
- Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS installations of the affected versions
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-10-15 - CVE-2025-54279 published to NVD and Adobe releases security advisory APSB25-97
- 2025-10-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-54279
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a Use After Free condition [CWE-416] within Adobe Animate's file parsing logic. When the application processes a crafted project file, it references a memory region after that region has been freed. An attacker who controls the freed allocation can place attacker-defined data at the dangling pointer location.
When Animate dereferences that pointer, it operates on attacker-controlled memory. This primitive can be escalated to control of execution flow, including overwriting function pointers or virtual table entries. The resulting code runs under the security context of the user who opened the file.
The attack vector is Local because the user must open a malicious file on the host. There is no network-based trigger. The vulnerability affects both Windows and macOS builds of Adobe Animate.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper object lifetime management during file parsing. Animate releases a heap object but retains references to it. Subsequent operations dereference the stale pointer without verifying that the underlying allocation is still valid. The Adobe advisory APSB25-97 documents the affected components without disclosing exploit-specific internals.
Attack Vector
An attacker crafts a malicious Animate project file containing the structures required to trigger the freed object reuse. The attacker delivers the file through email attachments, file-sharing links, or watering-hole sites. When the victim opens the file in a vulnerable build of Animate, the parser triggers the Use After Free and executes the attacker's payload. No elevated privileges are required, and the code runs at the victim's privilege level.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. See the Adobe Security Update APSB25-97 for vendor-supplied technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54279
Indicators of Compromise
- Adobe Animate (Animate.exe on Windows, Adobe Animate binary on macOS) spawning unexpected child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or shell interpreters.
- Unexpected file writes or persistence artifacts created by the Animate process shortly after a project file is opened.
- Outbound network connections originating from the Animate process to untrusted hosts.
- Crash dumps or Windows Event Log entries indicating access violations in Animate during file open operations.
Detection Strategies
- Hunt for process lineage where Adobe Animate is the parent of scripting or LOLBin processes, which is anomalous behavior for a design application.
- Monitor for Animate processes loading modules from unusual paths such as user temp directories or download folders.
- Alert on Animate writing executable files (.exe, .dll, .scr, .dylib) or scheduled task and LaunchAgent entries.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Centralize endpoint telemetry to correlate Animate process activity with file system, registry, and network events.
- Track installed Adobe Animate versions across the fleet to identify hosts still running 23.0.13, 24.0.10, or earlier.
- Review email and web gateway logs for inbound .fla, .xfl, or other Animate project file types delivered from external sources.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54279
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Adobe Animate to the fixed versions identified in advisory APSB25-97 on all Windows and macOS endpoints.
- Inventory all workstations running Adobe Animate and prioritize patching for users who routinely handle externally sourced project files.
- Instruct users not to open Animate project files received from untrusted sources until patching is complete.
Patch Information
Adobe released the patch in security advisory Adobe Security Update APSB25-97. Apply the updated versions provided by Adobe to remediate the Use After Free condition. The current EPSS score is 0.231% (percentile 13.66), indicating low predicted exploitation likelihood, but patching remains the only complete remediation.
Workarounds
- Restrict execution of Adobe Animate through application allowlisting on systems that do not require it.
- Block or quarantine inbound Animate project files at email and web gateways for users outside the design organization.
- Run Adobe Animate under standard user accounts rather than administrative accounts to limit the impact of successful exploitation.
- Enable operating system exploit mitigations such as Windows DEP, ASLR, and CFG, and macOS hardened runtime protections.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
