dbcve.org
DreamweaverApplication · Adobe

CVE-2026-21271

HIGH · 8.6 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-01-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 21.7 or later.
See remediation →
89/100
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
Dreamweaver Desktop versions 21.6 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 and scope is changed.

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

Dreamweaver Desktop versions 21.6 and earlier contain an improper input validation vulnerability in file parsing that allows arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious file. The vulnerability has a changed scope, indicating the exploitation can affect components beyond the vulnerable software itself.

MitigationApply the vendor patch when released by Adobe; until then, enforce strict policies prohibiting users from opening untrusted or unexpected Dreamweaver project files.

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
DreamweaverApplication
Affected:< 21.7

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
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/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. Confirm Dreamweaver installation
    Check for Dreamweaver Desktop installation by looking for Adobe Dreamweaver in installed programs (Windows: Control Panel > Programs and Features, macOS: Applications folder). Alternatively, search for Dreamweaver executable files such as Dreamweaver.exe or Adobe Dreamweaver.app.
    Affected if Dreamweaver Desktop is found installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version number
    Open Dreamweaver and navigate to Help > About Adobe Dreamweaver, or right-click the Dreamweaver executable and select Properties > Details to view the version number. On Windows, you can also run 'winget list Adobe.Dreamweaver' if winget is available.
    Affected if Version displayed is 21.6 or earlier (any version below 21.7)
  3. Verify file parsing functionality is in use
    Check if users work with Dreamweaver project files (.dws, .dwx, .dwt, or site definition files) by searching for these file extensions in user directories or by reviewing recent files within the Dreamweaver application.
    Affected if Users open, edit, or parse Dreamweaver project files regularly
  4. Assess user file handling practices
    Review system logs, endpoint detection records, or user activity logs for evidence of users opening files from untrusted or unknown sources, particularly Dreamweaver project files received via email, downloads, or external media.
    Affected if Users routinely open Dreamweaver files from untrusted or unknown origins without verification

You are affected if Dreamweaver Desktop version 21.6 or earlier is installed and users open or parse Dreamweaver project files, as the improper input validation vulnerability can be triggered by malicious files.

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 21.7 or later
Fixed in 21.7
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor patch when released by Adobe; until then, enforce strict policies prohibiting users from opening untrusted or unexpected Dreamweaver project files.

Recommended fix High confidence

Dreamweaver 21.7

  1. Open Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application
  2. Navigate to the Apps section
  3. Find Adobe Dreamweaver in the installed apps list
  4. Click on Update to install Dreamweaver version 21.7 or later
  5. Alternatively, download the latest Dreamweaver version from helpx.adobe.com
  6. Restart Dreamweaver after the update completes
  7. Verify the version by going to Help > About Adobe Dreamweaver to confirm version 21.7 or later is installed

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

Fix this in Dreamweaver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,392.

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-2026-21271 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