dbcve.org
AuditionApplication · Adobe

CVE-2021-40739

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-03-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 14.4 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 Audition version 14.4 (and earlier) is affected by a memory corruption vulnerability when parsing a M4A file, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability.

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

Adobe Audition versions 14.4 and earlier contain a memory corruption vulnerability in the M4A file parsing logic. When the application processes a specially crafted M4A file, it can trigger memory corruption that may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires the user to open a malicious M4A file.

MitigationUpdate Adobe Audition to a version newer than 14.4, or exercise caution when opening M4A files from untrusted sources.

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
AuditionApplication
Affected:<= 14.4

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. Verify Adobe Audition is installed
    Check for Adobe Audition in the installed programs list (Windows: Control Panel > Programs and Features, macOS: Applications folder or System Preferences > Privacy & Security > Extensions). Look for an entry named 'Adobe Audition' or check the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app for installed applications.
    Affected if Adobe Audition is present on the system
  2. Determine installed Adobe Audition version
    Open Adobe Audition, then go to Help > About Adobe Audition. The version number will display in the dialog. Alternatively, on Windows right-click the application in Start menu and select Properties > Details to see the Version field.
    Affected if The displayed version is 14.4 or any version number lower than 14.4 (for example 14.3, 14.2, 14.0, 13.x, etc.)
  3. Confirm M4A file handling is the attack vector
    This vulnerability is triggered specifically when processing M4A files. Verify that Adobe Audition has the capability to open M4A files - by default, Audition supports M4A import through its media browser or File > Open dialog.
    Affected if Adobe Audition can open and process M4A files, which is the default behavior for version 14.4 and earlier
  4. Check for recent M4A file activity (optional)
    Review the system for recently opened M4A files. Check the Adobe Audition recent files list (File > Open Recent), Windows Jump Lists, or the system recent documents for .m4a file entries from untrusted sources.
    Affected if M4A files from untrusted or unknown sources have been opened recently in Adobe Audition

You are affected if Adobe Audition is installed and the installed version is 14.4 or earlier, as this version range contains the vulnerable M4A parsing logic that can be triggered by opening a malicious file.

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 a release after 14.4
Interim mitigation

Update Adobe Audition to a version newer than 14.4, or exercise caution when opening M4A files from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Adobe Audition 15.0 or later (verify exact latest version from get.adobe.com/audition)

  1. 1. Close Adobe Audition if currently running
  2. 2. Download Adobe Audition version 15.0 or later from the official Adobe website (get.adobe.com/audition) or via Creative Cloud desktop application
  3. 3. Run the installer with administrative privileges
  4. 4. Follow the on-screen installation prompts to complete the upgrade
  5. 5. After installation, verify the version by opening Audition and navigating to Help > About Adobe Audition
Caveat Upgrade may require Creative Cloud subscription; ensure system meets minimum requirements for new version

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

Fix this in Audition Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2021-40739 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