CVE-2026-75676: Bridge Stack Buffer Overflow RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-75676 Overview

CVE-2026-75676 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability [CWE-121] in Adobe Bridge. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, meaning a victim must open a malicious file crafted by the attacker.

Adobe published security bulletin APSB26-148 addressing this issue. No public exploit code or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported as of publication.

Critical Impact
Attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the logged-in user by delivering a malicious file to a Bridge user.

Affected Products

Adobe Bridge (versions specified in Adobe security bulletin APSB26-148)
Windows installations of Adobe Bridge
macOS installations of Adobe Bridge

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-22 - CVE-2026-75676 published to NVD
2026-09-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-75676

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a stack-based buffer overflow [CWE-121] in Adobe Bridge's file parsing logic. When Bridge processes a crafted file, data is written to a fixed-size stack buffer without proper bounds checking. The overflow corrupts adjacent stack memory, including saved return addresses and control flow structures.

An attacker who controls the overflowing data can overwrite the return address and redirect execution to attacker-controlled code. Because Bridge executes with the current user's privileges, successful exploitation grants those same privileges to the injected payload.

Exploitation requires local user interaction. The victim must open the malicious file in Adobe Bridge, typically delivered through phishing, shared drives, or compromised asset repositories used by creative teams.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient bounds validation when copying externally supplied data into a stack-allocated buffer during file parsing. Untrusted input length exceeds the buffer's fixed capacity, and the copy operation proceeds without size enforcement.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local and requires user interaction. An attacker crafts a malicious file targeting a supported Bridge file format. The file is delivered through email attachment, download, or shared storage. When the victim opens the file in Adobe Bridge, the parsing routine triggers the overflow and executes attacker-supplied code.

See the Adobe Security Patch APSB26-148 advisory for affected file formats and version details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-75676

Indicators of Compromise

Adobe Bridge (Bridge.exe on Windows, Adobe Bridge on macOS) spawning unexpected child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or shell interpreters
Unexpected outbound network connections originating from the Bridge process
Bridge process crashes or unusual exception events in Windows Event Log or macOS crash reports coinciding with file open events
Files with anomalous headers or oversized metadata fields delivered to creative workstations

Detection Strategies

Monitor process lineage for child processes created by Adobe Bridge, which should not typically launch scripting hosts or command interpreters
Alert on Bridge process memory access violations and unexpected termination events that indicate memory corruption
Inspect files handled by Bridge for malformed structures using file format validators before end-user access

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable command line auditing on endpoints running Adobe Bridge to capture process arguments and parent-child relationships
Forward Bridge crash telemetry and Windows Error Reporting data to your central log platform for correlation
Track file downloads and email attachments matching Bridge-supported formats delivered to creative teams

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-75676

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the updates listed in Adobe security bulletin APSB26-148 to all Adobe Bridge installations
Inventory endpoints running Adobe Bridge and prioritize patching for workstations handling externally sourced assets
Warn creative and marketing teams to avoid opening Bridge files from untrusted or unverified sources until patched

Patch Information

Adobe has released updated versions of Bridge that remediate CVE-2026-75676. Refer to the Adobe Security Patch APSB26-148 bulletin for the fixed version numbers and download locations. Update through the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application or enterprise deployment tooling.

Workarounds

Restrict Adobe Bridge from opening files originating outside approved asset management systems
Apply application allowlisting rules that block Bridge from spawning script interpreters and shells
Use email and web gateway controls to inspect or block Bridge-supported file formats from untrusted senders

bash

# Windows: verify installed Adobe Bridge version against APSB26-148 fixed release
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Bridge" /s /v Version

# macOS: verify installed Adobe Bridge version
defaults read "/Applications/Adobe Bridge 2026/Adobe Bridge 2026.app/Contents/Info.plist" CFBundleShortVersionString