CVE-2025-61843: Adobe Format Plugins Information Disclosure

CVE-2025-61843 Overview

CVE-2025-61843 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 boundary, which can expose sensitive information resident in process memory. Exploitation requires user interaction: a victim must open a malicious file crafted by the attacker. The issue is tracked under CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read and is addressed in Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-114.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation discloses sensitive data from process memory on the local system, which attackers can use to defeat memory protections or stage follow-on attacks.

Affected Products

Adobe Format Plugins version 1.1.1
Adobe Format Plugins prior versions
Deployments on all supported platforms where Format Plugins runs

Discovery Timeline

2025-11-11 - CVE-2025-61843 published to NVD
2026-10-18 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-61843

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a local, user-interaction-dependent memory disclosure issue in Adobe Format Plugins. When the plugin parses a specifically malformed file, it reads bytes beyond the allocated buffer. The out-of-range bytes are then included in processing paths that expose their contents to the attacker-controlled context. This primarily affects confidentiality, with no direct impact on integrity or availability. The disclosed memory may contain pointers, cryptographic material, or document data that aids further exploitation.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper validation of a length or index field within the file parser, consistent with CWE-125. The parser trusts attacker-supplied size metadata without reconciling it against the actual buffer boundaries. As a result, read operations cross into adjacent memory. Adobe's advisory does not publish exploitation internals; the APSB25-114 bulletin provides the authoritative patch mapping.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access and user interaction. The attacker delivers a crafted file through phishing, a shared repository, or an untrusted download. The victim opens the file in an application that invokes Format Plugins. The parser processes attacker-controlled structures and leaks memory contents back through plugin processing. No network vector and no elevated privileges are required.

No verified proof-of-concept code is available at the time of writing. Refer to the Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-114 for vendor-authoritative technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-61843

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected or malformed files targeting Adobe Format Plugins arriving via email attachments or shared drives
Application crashes, hangs, or diagnostic logs referencing Format Plugins while opening unfamiliar files
Outbound connections initiated shortly after a user opens a document in a host application that loads Format Plugins

Detection Strategies

Hunt for recently created files with Format Plugins-associated extensions originating from external senders or untrusted shares
Correlate endpoint telemetry showing the host application loading Format Plugins modules with subsequent anomalous child processes or memory read patterns
Review mail gateway and web proxy logs for attachments or downloads matching the targeted file types

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable detailed process and module-load logging on workstations that open third-party document formats
Alert on crash telemetry from host applications that load Format Plugins, since parser faults may indicate exploitation attempts
Maintain inventory of endpoints running Adobe Format Plugins 1.1.1 or earlier and prioritize them for monitoring

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-61843

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the update referenced in Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-114 to all affected hosts
Inventory endpoints running Format Plugins 1.1.1 or earlier and schedule remediation based on exposure
Instruct users not to open Format Plugins files received from untrusted or unexpected sources until patching is complete

Patch Information

Adobe published the fix in Adobe Security Advisory APSB25-114. Upgrade Adobe Format Plugins to the version listed as fixed in the advisory. Verify version strings after installation to confirm successful remediation.

Workarounds

Restrict opening of Format Plugins file types to known, trusted sources until patches are deployed
Block delivery of the targeted file types at email and web gateways where business processes allow
Apply application allowlisting or sandboxing to the host application that invokes Format Plugins to limit information exposure if exploitation succeeds

bash

# Verify installed Adobe Format Plugins version on macOS / Linux hosts
# Replace the path with the install location in your environment
find / -type d -name "Format Plugins*" 2>/dev/null
# Review version metadata to confirm it matches the fixed release in APSB25-114