CVE-2021-42726
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 Bridge version 11.1.1 (and earlier) is affected by a memory corruption vulnerability due to insecure handling of a malicious 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 confidenceAdobe Bridge versions 11.1.1 and earlier contain a memory corruption vulnerability when parsing malicious M4A audio files. The insecure handling of specially crafted M4A file data can lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user, requiring user interaction (opening the file) to trigger exploitation.
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<= 15.4CVSS 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.
-
Verify Adobe Bridge is installedCheck for Adobe Bridge installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Bridge 2022 or similar) or look for Adobe Bridge in the list of installed programs via Control Panel > Programs and FeaturesAffected if Adobe Bridge is found on the system
-
Determine installed Adobe Bridge versionOpen Adobe Bridge, then go to Help > About Adobe Bridge. Alternatively, right-click the Adobe Bridge executable, select Properties, and check the Details tab for version informationAffected if The displayed version is 11.1.1 or any version prior to 11.1.1
-
Check for newer Bridge installationsIf multiple versions exist (e.g., Bridge 2021, Bridge 2022), check the version of each installation as the vulnerability affects all versions 11.1.1 and earlierAffected if Any installed Adobe Bridge version is 11.1.1 or earlier
-
Confirm M4A file handling is presentAdobe Bridge includes audio file preview capabilities by default. Check if Bridge can preview audio files by opening any M4A file in Adobe BridgeAffected if Adobe Bridge can open and parse M4A audio files (built-in functionality)
If Adobe Bridge version 11.1.1 or earlier is installed and can process M4A files, the environment is affected by this 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.
From vendor dataUpdate Adobe Bridge to a version newer than 11.1.1 to obtain the vendor patch addressing this vulnerability.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-42726 — 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-2021-42726 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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