dbcve.org
IndesignApplication · Adobe

CVE-2026-21276

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-01-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 20.5.1 / 21.1 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 21.0, 19.5.5 and earlier are affected by an Access of Uninitialized Pointer 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 21.0, 19.5.5 and earlier contain an Access of Uninitialized Pointer vulnerability. When a user opens a maliciously crafted file, the software attempts to dereference a pointer that was not properly initialized, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user's privileges.

MitigationApply the vendor security update from Adobe to patch the vulnerability. Additionally, implement user awareness training to avoid opening files from untrusted sources, as exploitation requires user interaction.

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:< 20.5.1>= 21.0, < 21.1

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. Identify InDesign installation
    On Windows: Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select DisplayName, DisplayVersion' in PowerShell. On Mac: Open System Information > Applications or check /Applications folder for Adobe InDesign.
    Affected if Adobe InDesign Desktop is listed as installed
  2. Determine exact InDesign version number
    In the Programs and Features list or registry output, locate the DisplayVersion value for Adobe InDesign. Alternatively, open InDesign and go to Help > About Adobe InDesign to view the precise version.
    Affected if Version displayed is less than 20.5.1 OR is 21.0.x or 21.0 (any 21.0.x version below 21.1)
  3. Verify vulnerability applicability
    Cross-reference your identified version number against the affected ranges: versions 19.x through 20.x before 20.5.1, and versions 21.0.x before 21.1. Any version matching these ranges is vulnerable.
    Affected if Installed version falls within < 20.5.1 OR >= 21.0 and < 21.1

User is affected if Adobe InDesign Desktop is installed and the installed version is either below 20.5.1 or is any 21.0.x version prior to 21.1.

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 20.5.1 / 21.1 or later
Fixed in 20.5.121.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor security update from Adobe to patch the vulnerability. Additionally, implement user awareness training to avoid opening files from untrusted sources, as exploitation requires user interaction.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

InDesign 20.5.1 or later (for 20.x branch); InDesign 21.1 or later (for 21.x branch)

  1. 1. Verify your current InDesign version by opening InDesign and navigating to Help > About InDesign
  2. 2. For InDesign versions 20.x (prior to 20.5.1), upgrade to version 20.5.1 or later
  3. 3. For InDesign version 21.0.x, upgrade to version 21.1 or later
  4. 4. Download the updated version from the official Adobe website at helpx.adobe.com
  5. 5. Close all InDesign instances before running the installer
  6. 6. Install the update and restart the application

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

Fix this in Indesign Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.

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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-2026-21276 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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