dbcve.org
IndesignApplication · Adobe

CVE-2023-21588

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 17.4 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 InDesign version 18.0 (and earlier), 17.4 (and earlier) are affected by an Improper Input Validation 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 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 confidence

Adobe InDesign versions 18.0 and earlier, as well as 17.4 and earlier, contain an improper input validation vulnerability that allows arbitrary code execution when a victim opens a maliciously crafted file. The attacker achieves code execution with the privileges of the current user.

MitigationApply Adobe's security update for InDesign to obtain the patched versions. Additionally, train users to avoid opening files from untrusted sources, as exploitation requires user interaction.

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
IndesignApplication
Affected:>= 17.0, <= 17.4= 18.0

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. Check if Adobe InDesign is installed
    On Windows, look for Adobe InDesign in Program Files or Program Files (x86). On Mac, check /Applications for Adobe InDesign. You can also search for 'InDesign.exe' on Windows or 'Adobe InDesign' application bundle on Mac.
    Affected if InDesign is not installed - not affected; if installed, continue to version check.
  2. Find the installed InDesign version number
    On Windows, right-click the InDesign executable (InDesign.exe), select Properties, and view the Version tab. On Mac, right-click Adobe InDesign.app, select Get Info, and view the Version field. Alternatively, open InDesign and go to Help > About InDesign.
    Affected if The exact version is displayed in the version information.
  3. Compare installed version to affected ranges
    The affected versions are: 17.0 through 17.4 (inclusive), and version 18.0 specifically. Compare your installed version number against this range.
    Affected if If your version is 17.0, 17.1, 17.2, 17.3, 17.4, or 18.0, then your installation is within the affected version range.
  4. Determine exposure to malicious files
    Assess whether users in your environment typically open InDesign files from external or untrusted sources, as exploitation requires a user to open a maliciously crafted .indd or other InDesign file.
    Affected if If users open InDesign files from untrusted or unknown sources, the exploit condition is present.

You are affected if Adobe InDesign version 17.0 through 17.4 or version 18.0 is installed AND a user can be persuaded to open a maliciously crafted InDesign 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 17.4
Interim mitigation

Apply Adobe's security update for InDesign to obtain the patched versions. Additionally, train users to avoid opening files from untrusted sources, as exploitation requires user interaction.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Adobe InDesign version 18.1 or later

  1. Navigate to the Adobe InDesign download page or open Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application
  2. Check for available updates to Adobe InDesign
  3. Download and install the latest version of Adobe InDesign (version 18.1 or later)
  4. Restart your computer after installation to ensure all components are properly updated
  5. Verify the installed version by opening InDesign and checking Help > About InDesign
Caveat Ensure system meets the minimum requirements for InDesign 18.1; review Adobe's system requirements before upgrading

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

Fix this in Indesign Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,080
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,328.

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-2023-21588 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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