CVE-2025-61841: Adobe Format Plugins Information Disclosure

CVE-2025-61841 Overview

CVE-2025-61841 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability affecting Adobe Format Plugins versions 1.1.1 and earlier. The flaw allows an attacker to read memory outside the intended buffer boundaries, exposing sensitive process memory contents. Exploitation requires user interaction, specifically the victim opening a crafted malicious file. The vulnerability maps to [CWE-125] Out-of-Bounds Read and impacts confidentiality without affecting integrity or availability. Adobe addressed the issue in security bulletin APSB25-114.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation discloses sensitive memory contents from the process address space, potentially exposing credentials, cryptographic material, or data useful for bypassing memory protections such as ASLR.

Affected Products

Adobe Format Plugins 1.1.1
Adobe Format Plugins versions earlier than 1.1.1
Deployments where Format Plugins process untrusted files

Discovery Timeline

2025-11-11 - CVE-2025-61841 published to NVD
2026-10-18 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-61841

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds read condition in Adobe Format Plugins' file parsing logic. When the plugin processes a specifically crafted file, it reads memory past the end of an allocated buffer. The adjacent memory can contain sensitive data from the host process. Attackers use this primitive to leak information useful for further exploitation, including heap layout data, pointers, and secrets stored in the process address space. The attack vector is local and requires user interaction to open the malicious file. The impact is restricted to confidentiality; the flaw does not directly enable code execution or process corruption.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper validation of length or offset fields in file format parsing. The plugin trusts attacker-controlled size values and reads beyond the bounds of a buffer. [CWE-125] out-of-bounds read conditions typically originate from missing checks between declared record sizes and the actual allocated buffer length.

Attack Vector

An attacker crafts a malicious file designed to trigger the parser flaw and delivers it through email, download, or shared storage. When a user opens the file with Adobe Format Plugins, the plugin processes the malformed structure and reads adjacent memory. The leaked bytes can be returned to the attacker through plugin output, embedded metadata, or chained with other primitives. Exploitation does not require authentication but does require the victim to initiate the file open operation.

No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. See the Adobe Security Update APSB25-114 for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-61841

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected crashes or abnormal termination of applications loading Adobe Format Plugins
Receipt of unsolicited files targeting Adobe plugin formats from untrusted sources
Outbound network connections initiated shortly after a user opens a plugin-processed file

Detection Strategies

Monitor endpoints running vulnerable Format Plugins versions for process-level anomalies when parsing files
Inspect email and web gateways for unusual attachments targeting Adobe plugin formats
Correlate file-open telemetry with child-process creation and network egress for suspicious sequences

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable file access and process execution logging on workstations with Adobe Format Plugins installed
Track installed plugin versions through endpoint inventory and flag hosts below the patched release
Alert on access to credential stores or memory regions immediately following malicious document processing

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-61841

Immediate Actions Required

Update Adobe Format Plugins to the fixed version identified in APSB25-114
Inventory all endpoints running Format Plugins 1.1.1 or earlier and prioritize patch deployment
Instruct users not to open plugin-processed files from untrusted or unexpected sources

Patch Information

Adobe published fixed versions in security bulletin APSB25-114. Apply the vendor-supplied update to all affected systems. Verify installation by confirming the plugin version is above 1.1.1 after deployment.

Workarounds

Restrict Format Plugins usage to trusted file sources only until patching is complete
Apply application allowlisting to prevent loading of unapproved plugin files
Use email filtering to block or quarantine attachments associated with the affected plugin formats

bash

# Verify Adobe Format Plugins version on Windows
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Format Plugins" /v Version