CVE-2026-48274: Adobe After Effects RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-48274 Overview

CVE-2026-48274 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] in Adobe After Effects. An attacker can achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user when a victim opens a malicious project file. The flaw requires local access and user interaction, which limits remote mass exploitation but suits targeted attacks against motion graphics, video production, and post-production workflows.

Adobe published a security bulletin (APSB26-78) addressing this issue. No public proof-of-concept code or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported at the time of publication.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the After Effects user, enabling malware installation, credential theft, and lateral movement within production environments.

Affected Products

Adobe After Effects (versions listed in APSB26-78)
Windows installations of Adobe After Effects
macOS installations of Adobe After Effects

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-14 - CVE-2026-48274 published to NVD
2026-07-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-48274

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write, classified under [CWE-787]. The defect occurs when After Effects parses a crafted project or media file and writes data beyond the bounds of an allocated buffer. Such writes can corrupt adjacent heap structures, function pointers, or virtual method tables that the process later dereferences.

An attacker who controls the out-of-bounds write can pivot memory corruption into arbitrary code execution. Because After Effects processes complex file formats including compositions, plugins, and media containers, the parser attack surface is broad. Code executes with the privileges of the interactive user, which for creative workstations often includes access to network shares, source assets, and cached cloud credentials.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or incorrect bounds validation during file parsing. When the application computes an offset or length from attacker-controlled fields, an inadequate check allows a write past the end of the destination buffer. Adobe has not published the specific parser component in the public advisory.

Attack Vector

Exploitation is local and requires user interaction. The attacker must deliver a malicious After Effects file through phishing, a compromised asset repository, a supply-chain plugin, or a shared project on a network drive. The victim triggers the vulnerability by opening the file in After Effects. Network-based automatic exploitation without user action is not possible.

The vulnerability manifests during parsing of untrusted file content. See the Adobe Security Update APSB26-78 for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-48274

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by AfterFX.exe on Windows or the After Effects process on macOS, such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or /bin/sh.
Crash reports referencing access violations or heap corruption within After Effects modules shortly after opening a project file.
Outbound network connections from the After Effects process to previously unseen domains or IP addresses.
After Effects project files (.aep, .aet) received from untrusted sources or arriving via email attachments.

Detection Strategies

Alert on process lineage where After Effects spawns interpreters, script hosts, or LOLBins that would not appear in a normal creative workflow.
Monitor file writes by the After Effects process to sensitive paths such as %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup or scheduled task locations.
Correlate application crashes with subsequent process execution or persistence creation on the same host.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest endpoint telemetry from creative workstations into a centralized detection platform, as these hosts are often excluded from standard monitoring.
Enable Windows and macOS crash logging and forward crash artifacts for retrospective analysis.
Track inbound project files from external collaborators through email and file-sharing gateways with content inspection.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-48274

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the Adobe After Effects update referenced in bulletin APSB26-78 to all affected workstations.
Inventory hosts running After Effects and prioritize patching for editors who handle files from external parties.
Instruct users to avoid opening After Effects project files received from untrusted or unverified sources until patching is complete.

Patch Information

Adobe released fixed versions of After Effects in security bulletin Adobe Security Update APSB26-78. Administrators should deploy the update through the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application or an enterprise deployment tool such as Adobe Admin Console.

Workarounds

Restrict opening of After Effects files to those originating from trusted internal repositories with integrity controls.
Run After Effects under a standard user account rather than an administrator to limit the impact of successful exploitation.
Use application allowlisting to block child-process execution of interpreters and shells from the After Effects binary where workflows permit.

bash

# Verify installed After Effects version on macOS
defaults read "/Applications/Adobe After Effects 2026/Adobe After Effects 2026.app/Contents/Info.plist" CFBundleShortVersionString

# Verify installed After Effects version on Windows (PowerShell)
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*" |
  Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "Adobe After Effects*" } |
  Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion