Format PluginsPlugin / extension · Adobe

CVE-2025-61838

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
Format Plugins versions 1.1.1 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 · moderate confidence

Format Plugins versions 1.1.1 and earlier contain a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability during file parsing operations. When a user opens a specially crafted malicious file, the buffer overflow can overwrite heap metadata or adjacent memory, enabling arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.

MitigationUpgrade Format Plugins to a version newer than 1.1.1; implement file type validation and disable automatic file parsing for untrusted inputs until the patch 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
Format PluginsPlugin / extension
Affected:all versions

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 Format Plugins are installed
    Look for the Format Plugins component in the Adobe software suite or system installed programs/features
    Affected if Format Plugins are present on the system and the version is 1.1.1 or earlier
  2. Identify the installed version of Format Plugins
    Access the plugin information through Adobe application menus (Help > About) or check the plugin file properties/version details
    Affected if The installed version is 1.1.1 or earlier, as these versions contain the vulnerable code
  3. Determine if file parsing for untrusted inputs is enabled
    Check application settings for automatic file parsing or format conversion features that process files upon opening
    Affected if Automatic parsing of files (especially from untrusted or external sources) is enabled, allowing the malicious file to trigger the vulnerable code path
  4. Verify if the application opens files automatically on receipt
    Check email client or file handler settings for automatic file opening/preview behavior
    Affected if Files received externally are automatically opened or previewed without user confirmation, enabling silent exploitation

The environment is affected if Adobe Format Plugins version 1.1.1 or earlier are installed and the system is configured to automatically parse or open untrusted files, allowing specially crafted files to trigger the heap-based buffer overflow.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Format Plugins to a version newer than 1.1.1; implement file type validation and disable automatic file parsing for untrusted inputs until the patch is applied.

Fix this in Format Plugins Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,060
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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-2025-61838 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