CVE-2021-39822
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 · uneditedAdobe InDesign versions 16.3 (and earlier), and 16.3.1 (and earlier) are affected by an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that could result in 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 BMP 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 confidenceAdobe InDesign versions 16.3 and earlier, and 16.3.1 and earlier contain an out-of-bounds write vulnerability when parsing BMP image files. An attacker can craft a malicious BMP file that, when opened by a victim, triggers the vulnerability leading to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user's privileges.
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<= 16.3.2<= 16.3CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed Adobe InDesign versionWindows: Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\InDesign\InstallDetails, or check in Help > About InDesign within the application. macOS: Right-click Adobe InDesign.app > Get Info, or use the application itself.Affected if The installed version is 16.3.2, 16.3.1, 16.3, or any earlier version.
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Confirm BMP file parsing is possibleOpen Adobe InDesign and attempt to place or import a BMP file, or check File > Place to see if BMP appears in supported file types.Affected if BMP files can be imported or placed in InDesign, meaning the parsing module is active.
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Check for recently opened BMP filesSearch the system for .bmp files, or check InDesign's recent files list if accessible, or examine document folders for InDesign files that reference BMP images.Affected if BMP files exist on the system or have been opened recently in InDesign.
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Verify file association for BMP filesWindows: Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Choose default apps by file type, and verify BMP is associated with any application. macOS: Right-click a BMP file > Get Info > Opens with.Affected if BMP files are associated with or can be opened by Adobe InDesign.
You are affected if Adobe InDesign version 16.3.2 or lower is installed and BMP files can be opened or parsed within the application.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedUpdate Adobe InDesign to version 16.4 or later via the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application or direct download. Avoid opening untrusted or unexpected BMP files from unknown sources.
Adobe InDesign 16.4 or later
- Open Adobe InDesign
- Go to Help menu
- Select Check for Updates
- Follow prompts to download and install the latest version (16.4 or later)
- Restart InDesign after installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-39822 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-39822 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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