CVE-2025-54282: Adobe FrameMaker Buffer Overflow Flaw

CVE-2025-54282 Overview

CVE-2025-54282 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability [CWE-122] affecting Adobe FrameMaker versions 2020.9, 2022.7, 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, limiting the scope to social engineering or supply chain delivery scenarios. Adobe published the fix in security advisory APSB25-101 on October 14, 2025.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running Adobe FrameMaker, enabling full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the affected workstation.

Affected Products

Adobe FrameMaker 2020.9 and earlier 2020.x releases
Adobe FrameMaker 2022.7 and earlier 2022.x releases
Microsoft Windows hosts running the affected FrameMaker versions

Discovery Timeline

2025-10-14 - Adobe publishes security advisory APSB25-101 with patches
2025-10-14 - CVE-2025-54282 published to NVD
2025-10-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-54282

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a heap-based buffer overflow classified under [CWE-122]. Adobe FrameMaker fails to validate the size of attacker-controlled data before copying it into a heap-allocated buffer during parsing of a crafted document. The overflow corrupts adjacent heap structures, including object metadata, function pointers, and virtual table pointers. An attacker can shape the heap layout to gain control over execution flow and execute arbitrary code within the FrameMaker process.

Because FrameMaker runs interactively on user workstations, code execution inherits the current user's privileges and access to documents, network shares, and authentication material. The attack vector is local and requires the victim to open a malicious FrameMaker file.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient bounds checking on a length field within a parsed file structure. When FrameMaker processes the malicious input, it allocates a heap buffer based on one value while copying data based on another, larger value. This classic heap overflow pattern allows the attacker to write past the buffer boundary into adjacent allocations.

Attack Vector

The attacker delivers a crafted FrameMaker document through email, web download, removable media, or a shared file location. When the user opens the file in a vulnerable version of FrameMaker, the parser triggers the overflow. No authentication or network access to the target is required, and exploitation succeeds in a single-user session without crossing a security boundary.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code is currently available for this issue, and Adobe's advisory does not document active exploitation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54282

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by FrameMaker.exe, such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or rundll32.exe
Crashes of FrameMaker.exe logged in the Windows Application event log with access violation exceptions
FrameMaker documents (.fm, .book, .mif) received from untrusted sources or arriving via phishing email
Outbound network connections initiated by FrameMaker.exe to previously unseen domains or IP addresses

Detection Strategies

Hunt for process creation events where the parent image is FrameMaker.exe and the child is a scripting interpreter or LOLBin
Alert on memory protection violations and application error events referencing FrameMaker modules
Inspect email and web gateways for FrameMaker file attachments from external senders
Correlate document open events with subsequent file writes to user-writable directories such as %APPDATA% or %TEMP%

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable command-line and process lineage logging through Sysmon or an equivalent EDR sensor on Windows endpoints with FrameMaker installed
Track installed FrameMaker versions through software inventory and flag hosts running 2020.9, 2022.7, or earlier
Monitor user-reported FrameMaker crashes and route them to the incident response queue for triage

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54282

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the Adobe FrameMaker updates referenced in APSB25-101 to all affected workstations
Block FrameMaker file types at the email gateway when they originate from external senders
Instruct users not to open FrameMaker documents from untrusted or unverified sources
Verify endpoint protection signatures and behavioral rules are up to date for document-borne exploits

Patch Information

Adobe released fixed versions in security bulletin Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-101 on October 14, 2025. Administrators should upgrade Adobe FrameMaker 2020.x and 2022.x installations to the patched releases listed in the advisory. The patch addresses the heap-based buffer overflow by enforcing correct bounds validation during document parsing.

Workarounds

Restrict FrameMaker usage to a limited set of authors whose endpoints can be patched first
Open untrusted FrameMaker files only inside an isolated virtual machine or sandbox without network access
Run FrameMaker under a standard user account to limit the impact of code execution
Enforce Windows Defender Attack Surface Reduction rules that block child process creation from Office and document applications where compatible

bash

# Verify installed FrameMaker version on Windows via PowerShell
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*" |
  Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "*FrameMaker*" } |
  Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, InstallLocation