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IndesignApplication · Adobe

CVE-2024-39393

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 18.5.3 / 19.5 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
InDesign Desktop versions ID19.4, ID18.5.2 and earlier are affected by an out-of-bounds read vulnerability when parsing a crafted file, which could result in a read past the end of an allocated memory structure. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute code 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 Desktop contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability when parsing crafted files, allowing an attacker to read past the end of an allocated memory structure. This memory safety issue can potentially be leveraged to achieve code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires victim interaction—opening a malicious .indd or related file.

MitigationUpdate InDesign to the patched version (ID19.5 or later). Avoid opening files from untrusted sources and implement endpoint detection controls to flag suspicious file imports.

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:< 18.5.3>= 19.0, < 19.5

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. Locate InDesign installation
    Check for Adobe InDesign installation: Windows - look in C:\Program Files\Adobe\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\ for folders named 'Adobe InDesign'. macOS - look in /Applications/ for 'Adobe InDesign' folder.
    Affected if InDesign is not installed on the system.
  2. Identify installed InDesign version (Windows)
    In the InDesign installation folder, right-click the InDesign.exe file, select Properties, then go to the Details tab to view the Product Version.
    Affected if Cannot determine version or file not found.
  3. Identify installed InDesign version (macOS)
    Open /Applications/Adobe InDesign folder, right-click the InDesign app, select Get Info, and view the Version field under General.
    Affected if Cannot determine version or app not found.
  4. Compare version against affected ranges
    Match the installed version number to the affected ranges: versions below 18.5.3, or versions 19.0 through 19.4.x. Note that version 18.x and 19.x are separate release tracks.
    Affected if Installed version is less than 18.5.3, OR is 19.0 through 19.4.x (any minor version).
  5. Check for recent file import activity (optional context)
    Review recent documents opened with InDesign, particularly .indd, .idml, or .inx files from unknown or untrusted sources, as exploitation requires opening a malicious crafted file.
    Affected if User has recently opened files from untrusted sources (this indicates potential exposure but does not confirm exploitation).

The environment is affected if Adobe InDesign Desktop version is installed and the version is either below 18.5.3 or falls within the 19.0 to 19.4.x range.

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 18.5.3 / 19.5 or later
Fixed in 18.5.319.5
Interim mitigation

Update InDesign to the patched version (ID19.5 or later). Avoid opening files from untrusted sources and implement endpoint detection controls to flag suspicious file imports.

Recommended fix High confidence

InDesign 18.5.3+ or 19.5+ (depending on which major version branch is in use)

  1. Verify the current Adobe InDesign version by opening the application and checking Help > About InDesign
  2. For InDesign 18.x users: Upgrade to version 18.5.3 or later
  3. For InDesign 19.x users: Upgrade to version 19.5 or later
  4. Download the updated version from the official Adobe website at helpx.adobe.com
  5. Close any running instances of InDesign before installing the update
  6. Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the installation
  7. After upgrading, exercise caution when opening files from untrusted sources
Caveat Users on very old version branches may need to migrate settings; ensure compatibility with existing workflows and plugins 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
  • 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-2024-39393 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