CVE-2021-28597

Local privilege escalation via installer temporary-file permissions

Published Jun 28, 2021 · Updated Apr 23, 2025

Insecure temporary file creation in the Adobe Photoshop Elements installer 5.2 and earlier allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The installer creates a temporary file in a directory with permissions that expose it to unintended local access, but Adobe has not disclosed the path or function sequence. The local attacker needs no prior privileges or user interaction and can invoke installer functions to perform high-privilege actions.

CVSS severity6.2
Medium
EPSS probability0.48%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Insecure temporary file creation in the Adobe Photoshop Elements installer 5.2 and earlier allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The installer creates a temporary file in a directory with permissions that expose it to unintended local access, but Adobe has not disclosed the path or function sequence. The local attacker needs no prior privileges or user interaction and can invoke installer functions to perform high-privilege actions.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-28597
Published
Jun 28, 2021
Updated
Apr 23, 2025
Vendor
Adobe
Product
Photoshop Elements
Classifications
CWE-668, CWE-379, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 28, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 23, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=5.2
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=None

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Adobe · Photoshop Elementsversion=unspecified <=5.2; version=unspecified <=None

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
6.2Adobe Systems IncorporatedCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
2.1NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-668Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere
CWE-379Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Insecure Permissions
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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