CVE-2025-43591
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 · uneditedInDesign Desktop versions 19.5.3 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 confidenceAdobe InDesign Desktop versions 19.5.3 and earlier contain a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that can be triggered when a user opens a maliciously crafted file. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution within the context of the current user's privileges.
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< 19.5.4>= 20.0, < 20.4CVSS 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.
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Locate installed Adobe InDesign versionOpen Adobe InDesign, then go to Help > About Adobe InDesign to display the version number. Alternatively, check Add/Remove Programs (Windows) or Applications folder (macOS) for the installed version.Affected if The displayed version is 19.5.3 or earlier, or is in the range 20.0 to 20.4.
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Verify exact version numberIf the version starts with 19.x, ensure it is 19.5.4 or later to be patched. If the version starts with 20.x, ensure it is 20.4 or later to be patched.Affected if Version is less than 19.5.4, or is between 20.0 and 20.3 inclusive.
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Identify file opening as exploitation vectorThis vulnerability is triggered when InDesign opens a maliciously crafted file. No specific configuration setting enables or disables this vulnerability.Affected if Users open files from untrusted sources, as exploitation requires user interaction to open the malicious file.
A user is affected if their installed InDesign version is 19.5.3 or earlier, or falls within 20.0 to 20.4, and they open a specially crafted malicious file.
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 · scoped19.5.420.4
Update InDesign to a patched version beyond 19.5.3. Users should be cautioned against opening files from untrusted sources as exploitation requires user interaction.
InDesign 19.5.4+ (for 19.x branch) or InDesign 20.4+ (for 20.x branch)
- 1. Close all running Adobe InDesign instances
- 2. Open Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application or navigate to the Adobe InDesign download page
- 3. Check for available updates for InDesign
- 4. For users on InDesign 19.x branch (versions 19.5.3 and earlier): Download and install InDesign version 19.5.4 or later
- 5. For users on InDesign 20.x branch (versions 20.0 through 20.3): Download and install InDesign version 20.4 or later
- 6. Restart your computer after the update installation completes
- 7. Verify the installed version by opening InDesign and navigating to Help > About InDesign to confirm the version number
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-43591 — 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-2025-43591 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
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- 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
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