CVE-2021-42270
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 Animate version 21.0.9 (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 Animate versions 21.0.9 and earlier contain an out-of-bounds write vulnerability when parsing malicious BMP files, allowing arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. The attack requires user interaction—specifically opening a crafted BMP file—making it a client-side code execution flaw.
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<= 21.0.9CVSS 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:3.0/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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Identify installed Adobe Animate versionOpen Adobe Animate, then go to Help > About Adobe Animate (or Help > About Adobe Animate CC) to view the exact version number displayed in the dialog. Alternatively, check Add/Remove Programs (Windows) or the Applications folder (macOS) for the installed version.Affected if The displayed version is 21.0.9 or any version number lower than 21.0.9.
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Confirm BMP import capability existsAttempt to open or import a BMP file in Adobe Animate using File > Open or File > Import > Import to Stage. The ability to handle BMP files is a native capability in Adobe Animate.Affected if The BMP import functionality is present and operational, as this is the feature that triggers the vulnerable code path.
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Verify no security monitoring for BMP file importsReview endpoint detection logs or security software for any existing rules monitoring unusual file type imports into Adobe Animate, or check if the system has audit logs capturing Animate file operations.Affected if There is no monitoring or auditing in place for BMP files being opened in Adobe Animate, meaning a malicious file could be opened without detection.
You are affected if Adobe Animate version 21.0.9 or earlier is installed and the BMP file import feature is available, as opening a crafted BMP file would trigger the out-of-bounds write vulnerability.
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 Animate to the latest patched version. Until patched, restrict user ability to open untrusted BMP files and implement endpoint detection controls for suspicious file imports.
Adobe Animate 21.0.10 or later (22.x recommended
- Open Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application or check for updates within Adobe Animate
- Navigate to Help > Check for Updates
- Allow the application to check for and install the latest version
- Alternatively, download Adobe Animate version 21.0.10 or later from the official Adobe website at adobe.com
- Verify the installed version by going to Help > About Adobe Animate
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,168.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-42270 — 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-2021-42270 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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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.
- 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