CVE-2021-40758 : Security Advisory and Response

Adobe After Effects version 18.4.1 (and earlier) is affected by a memory corruption vulnerability due to insecure handling of a malicious WAV file, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. This CVE was made public on October 26, 2021.

Understanding CVE-2021-40758

Adobe After Effects vulnerability.

What is CVE-2021-40758?

The vulnerability in Adobe After Effects allows arbitrary code execution via a malicious WAV file.

The Impact of CVE-2021-40758

This vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 7.8 (High severity), with high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-40758

Details of the vulnerability in Adobe After Effects.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability is a memory corruption issue due to the insecure handling of WAV files, which allows attackers to execute arbitrary code.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: After Effects
Vendor: Adobe
Versions affected:
Version: 18.4.1 and earlier
Version Type: Custom

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required

Mitigation and Prevention

Protective measures against the CVE-2021-40758 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Adobe After Effects to version 18.4.2 or higher.
Avoid opening untrusted WAV files.
Exercise caution while opening files from unknown or unverified sources.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and enable automatic updates.
Implement strong file validation and input sanitization mechanisms.
Educate users on safe browsing and file handling practices.

Patching and Updates

Adobe released a security update addressing this vulnerability in version 18.4.2.