dbcve.org
IndesignApplication · Adobe

CVE-2025-27171

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-03-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 19.5.3 / 20.2 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 ID20.1, ID19.5.2 and earlier are affected by a Heap-based Buffer Overflow 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 Desktop versions ID20.1, ID19.5.2 and earlier contain a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that can be triggered when a victim opens a specially crafted malicious file. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user's session.

MitigationUpdate InDesign to the latest patched version released by Adobe. Avoid opening untrusted InDesign files from unknown sources until the update is applied.

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:< 19.5.3>= 20.0, < 20.2

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 installed Adobe InDesign version
    On Windows: Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or right-click InDesign shortcut > Properties > Details. On macOS: Open Finder > Applications > Adobe InDesign > Right-click > Get Info. The version is listed as 'Version' or in the app name (e.g., InDesign 20.1).
    Affected if Version cannot be determined or InDesign is not installed (not vulnerable if not installed)
  2. Compare your version against affected ranges
    Check if your installed version is: less than 19.5.3, OR greater than or equal to 20.0 but less than 20.2. Note the full version number including any sub-releases (e.g., 20.1.1).
    Affected if Version falls within < 19.5.3 or >= 20.0 and < 20.2
  3. Verify InDesign is present on the system
    Search for 'InDesign' in installed programs (Windows Programs and Features, or macOS Launchpad/Applications folder). Adobe apps are typically installed in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign (Windows) or /Applications/Adobe InDesign (macOS).
    Affected if InDesign is installed and version check confirms affected version range

You are affected if Adobe InDesign Desktop is installed and its version is either below 19.5.3, or 20.0 through 20.1.x (any version below 20.2).

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 19.5.3 / 20.2 or later
Fixed in 19.5.320.2
Interim mitigation

Update InDesign to the latest patched version released by Adobe. Avoid opening untrusted InDesign files from unknown sources until the update is applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

InDesign 19.5.3 (for version 19.x) or InDesign 20.2 (for version 20.x)

  1. Check your current InDesign version by opening InDesign and going to Help > About InDesign
  2. Determine which version branch you are on: versions 19.x should upgrade to 19.5.3, and versions 20.x should upgrade to 20.2
  3. Navigate to the official Adobe InDesign download page at helpx.adobe.com or use Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application
  4. Download the appropriate fixed version (19.5.3 for version 19.x, or 20.2 for version 20.x)
  5. Close any running Adobe applications
  6. Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation
  7. Restart your computer if prompted
  8. Verify the installed version matches the fixed release by checking Help > About InDesign
Caveat Minimal risk - Adobe version updates typically include backward-compatible features and bug fixes; always backup critical InDesign documents before updating

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
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2025-27171 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