CVE-2025-61842 Overview
Adobe Format Plugins versions 1.1.1 and earlier contain a Use After Free vulnerability [CWE-416] that can lead to memory exposure. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can disclose sensitive information from process memory. Exploitation requires user interaction: a victim must open a crafted malicious file in an application that loads the affected Format Plugins component.
The vulnerability was published to the National Vulnerability Database on November 11, 2025. Adobe published remediation guidance in security bulletin APSB25-114. No public exploit code or active in-the-wild exploitation has been confirmed at this time.
Critical Impact
Local attackers can disclose sensitive memory contents from a victim's process by tricking the user into opening a malicious file crafted to trigger the Use After Free condition in Adobe Format Plugins.
Affected Products
- Adobe Format Plugins version 1.1.1
- Adobe Format Plugins versions earlier than 1.1.1
- Applications that load the affected Format Plugins component
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-11-11 - CVE CVE-2025-61842 published to NVD
- 2025-11-11 - Adobe publishes Security Bulletin APSB25-114
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-61842
Vulnerability Analysis
The flaw is a Use After Free condition [CWE-416] inside the Adobe Format Plugins code path that parses untrusted file content. When the plugin frees a memory object but retains a dangling reference, subsequent operations read from the freed region. The data returned reflects whatever has since been placed there by the allocator.
An attacker can shape the heap by crafting file structures that influence allocation and deallocation order. This technique turns the dangling read into a controlled information disclosure primitive. The CVSS vector shows confidentiality impact only, with no integrity or availability consequences, indicating the issue is scoped to memory read exposure rather than code execution.
Because the attack requires a local vector and user interaction, delivery typically relies on social engineering. A victim must open a malicious document or asset with an application that loads the vulnerable plugin.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper lifetime management of a heap-allocated object during file parsing. The plugin releases the backing memory but continues to dereference a pointer to that region. Reads through the stale pointer return attacker-influenceable bytes, which may include adjacent heap metadata, pointers, or data from other parsed structures.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires the attacker to deliver a crafted file to the victim through email, a web download, a shared drive, or similar channel. The victim must open the file with an application that invokes Adobe Format Plugins. Successful parsing triggers the Use After Free and exposes residual process memory to the attacker-controlled parsing logic, which can be used to exfiltrate sensitive data embedded in or derivable from the file render output.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. See the Adobe Security Bulletin APSB25-114 for vendor technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-61842
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected crashes, hangs, or heap corruption telemetry in applications that load Adobe Format Plugins after opening a document from an untrusted source.
- Delivery of unsolicited files targeting the formats handled by Adobe Format Plugins, especially through phishing campaigns.
- Process memory dumps or event logs showing access violations in the plugin module shortly after file open operations.
Detection Strategies
- Hunt for process crashes, access violations, and heap errors originating from the Adobe Format Plugins module across endpoint telemetry.
- Correlate file-open events for plugin-supported formats with subsequent anomalous child processes, outbound network connections, or memory read patterns.
- Inventory endpoints running Adobe Format Plugins versions 1.1.1 and earlier using software asset management or EDR query capabilities.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on application faults and Windows Error Reporting (WER) events referencing the Format Plugins binary.
- Monitor email and web proxy logs for inbound files matching formats processed by the plugin from external or low-reputation senders.
- Review endpoint logs for unusual read activity in processes hosting the vulnerable plugin following file open operations.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-61842
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all endpoints running Adobe Format Plugins version 1.1.1 or earlier and prioritize them for update.
- Apply the fixed version referenced in Adobe Security Bulletin APSB25-114.
- Reinforce user awareness guidance against opening unsolicited files, since exploitation requires user interaction.
- Restrict execution of the host application to least-privileged user contexts where feasible.
Patch Information
Adobe addresses this vulnerability in the updated release documented in security bulletin APSB25-114. Administrators should consult the Adobe Security Bulletin APSB25-114 for the exact fixed version, affected platforms, and installation guidance.
Workarounds
- Block or quarantine inbound files of plugin-supported formats from untrusted sources at email and web gateways until patching is complete.
- Temporarily remove or disable the Adobe Format Plugins component on hosts that do not require it.
- Apply application allowlisting to prevent the host application from launching unexpected child processes following file parsing.
# Example: query installed Adobe Format Plugins version on Windows (PowerShell)
Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\Software\Adobe\Format Plugins\*' |
Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
