CVE-2021-43015
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 InCopy version 16.4 (and earlier) is affected by a memory corruption vulnerability due to insecure handling of a malicious GIF file, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. User interaction is required in that the victim must open a specially crafted file 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 InCopy version 16.4 and earlier contains a memory corruption vulnerability in GIF file parsing. When processing a specially crafted malicious GIF file, the application fails to properly handle memory operations, allowing an attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.
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<= 16.4CVSS 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 InCopy is installedCheck for Adobe InCopy in the system. On Windows, look in Program Files or Program Files (x86) for Adobe InCopy folder. On macOS, check /Applications for Adobe InCopy.Affected if Adobe InCopy is present on the system
-
Find installed InCopy version numberWindows: Right-click InCopy executable, select Properties, view Details tab for Version. macOS: Right-click InCopy app, Get Info, view Version field. Alternatively, open InCopy and go to Help > About InCopy.Affected if Version is 16.4 or earlier (or version cannot be determined but InCopy is present)
-
Confirm vulnerability applicabilityThe vulnerability only applies when processing GIF files. Check if the user opens untrusted GIF files with InCopy. Note: InCopy can open graphics embedded in documents or as standalone files.Affected if User opens or imports maliciously crafted GIF files into InCopy
User is affected if Adobe InCopy version 16.4 or earlier is installed AND the user opens malicious GIF files with 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 InCopy to version 16.4.1 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Avoid opening untrusted or unexpected GIF files from unverified sources.
InCopy 16.4.1 or later (latest available version)
- 1. Close Adobe InCopy if it is currently running.
- 2. Open Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application or navigate to adobe.com/downloads.
- 3. Locate Adobe InCopy in your installed applications.
- 4. Update InCopy to the latest available version (version 16.4.1 or later).
- 5. Alternatively, download the latest version from adobe.com/products/incopy.html
- 6. After installation, verify the version by opening InCopy and checking Help > About InCopy.
- 7. Ensure the installed version shows 16.4.1 or higher.
- 8. Do not open untrusted GIF files, even after patching, as a general security practice.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $1,744.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-43015 — 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-2021-43015 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