CVE-2026-34701
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 21.3, 20.5.3 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 21.3, 20.5.3 and earlier contain a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that can be triggered when a user opens a maliciously crafted InDesign file. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user session, requiring only that the victim open the malicious file.
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< 20.5.4>= 21.0, < 21.4CVSS 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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Verify Adobe InDesign is installedCheck for InDesign installation: On Windows, look in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign [version] or check Start Menu. On macOS, check /Applications/Adobe InDesign [version]. The version number appears in the folder/app name.Affected if InDesign is not installed on the system
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Determine the exact InDesign version numberOpen InDesign, then go to Help > About Adobe InDesign. The version number displayed (such as 21.3, 20.5.3, 18.5, etc.) is the installed version. Alternatively on Windows, check Add/Remove Programs or the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\InDesign\InstallVersion.Affected if Cannot determine the version number from the application or system
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Compare installed version against affected rangesThe affected versions are: all versions before 20.5.4 in the 20.x line, and versions 21.0 through 21.3 in the 21.x line. Compare your installed version: if it is 20.5.3 or earlier, OR if it is 21.0, 21.1, 21.2, or 21.3, then you are in the affected range.Affected if Installed version is 20.5.3 or earlier, OR is 21.0 through 21.3 (version 21.4 or later and 20.5.4 or later are patched)
You are affected if Adobe InDesign Desktop is installed and the version is either 20.5.3/earlier in the 20.x line or 21.0-21.3 in the 21.x line, since the vulnerability triggers when opening a maliciously crafted InDesign 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 · scoped20.5.421.4
Update InDesign to version 21.4, 20.5.4, or later to obtain the vendor patch. Until patched, refrain from opening InDesign files from untrusted or unknown sources.
InDesign 21.4 or later (or 20.5.4 or later for the 20.x branch)
- 1. Verify the current InDesign version by navigating to Help > About InDesign
- 2. Download the latest Adobe InDesign security update from the official Adobe website or Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application
- 3. Close all running instances of InDesign
- 4. Install the security update following the on-screen prompts
- 5. Restart your computer after installation completes
- 6. Launch InDesign and confirm the version has updated to 21.4 or later (or 20.5.4 or later for the 20.x branch)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-34701 — 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-2026-34701 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data