dbcve.org
Creative Cloud Desktop ApplicationApplication · Adobe

CVE-2021-28594

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-08-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.5 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application (installer) version 2.4 (and earlier) is affected by an Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker could leverage this vulnerability to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application installer versions 2.4 and earlier contains an Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability, allowing DLL hijacking or binary planting. When the installer executes, it searches for required files in locations that can be controlled by an attacker. By placing a malicious file in the search path, an unauthenticated attacker can achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user, but only after the victim opens a specially crafted malicious file.

MitigationUpdate Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application installer to a version newer than 2.4. Ensure users only download installers from official Adobe sources and verify file integrity before execution.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Creative Cloud Desktop ApplicationApplication
Affected:< 2.5

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application version
    Open the Creative Cloud Desktop Application, then navigate to the Help menu and select 'About Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application' to view the version number. Alternatively, on Windows, open Programs and Features, locate 'Adobe Creative Cloud' in the list, and note the version shown.
    Affected if The displayed version is 2.4 or earlier (versions below 2.5 are affected)
  2. Check Windows registry for version information
    Open Windows Registry Editor (regedit.exe), navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\CreativeCloud or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Adobe\CreativeCloud, and look for version-related values such as 'Version' or 'VersionNumber'.
    Affected if The registry value shows a version string indicating 2.4 or earlier
  3. Inspect installer executable properties
    Locate the installer file (commonly named 'Creative_Cloud_Installer.exe' or similar) in the Downloads folder or installation media. Right-click the file, select Properties, and check the Details tab for the File Version.
    Affected if The installer file version is 2.4 or earlier
  4. Verify application installation directory
    Navigate to the default installation path (typically C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Creative Cloud\) and locate the main executable (such as ACCDesktopPrincipal.exe or similar). Right-click the executable, select Properties, and check the File Version on the Details tab.
    Affected if The executable version corresponds to Adobe Creative Cloud 2.4 or earlier

A system is affected if the installed Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application version is 2.4 or earlier (any version less than 2.5), since these versions contain the uncontrolled search path element vulnerability that allows DLL hijacking during installer execution.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.5 or later
Fixed in 2.5
Interim mitigation

Update Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application installer to a version newer than 2.4. Ensure users only download installers from official Adobe sources and verify file integrity before execution.

Recommended fix High confidence

Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application version 2.5 or later

  1. Open Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application
  2. Navigate to the 'Apps' or 'Updates' section
  3. Check the current version number (should be visible in the app or settings)
  4. If version is 2.4 or earlier, click 'Update' or 'Update All' to install the latest version
  5. Alternatively, download the latest Creative Cloud Desktop Application installer directly from Adobe's official website (helpx.adobe.com)
  6. Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the update
  7. Restart the computer if prompted to ensure the update is fully applied

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Creative Cloud Desktop Application Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-28594 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data