CVE-2021-36054

Application crash via unchecked PSD resource lengths

Published Sep 1, 2021 · Updated Nov 3, 2025

Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe XMP Toolkit SDK 2020.1 and earlier allows local users to crash an application via a crafted PSD file. PSD_MetaHandler::CacheFileData trusts attacker-controlled color-mode and image-resource lengths without ensuring the derived offsets and resource data remain within the file and parsed resource block. Exploitation requires a victim to open the file in an application that integrates the affected XMPFiles library; the documented consequence is an application crash in the current user's context.

CVSS severity3.3
Low
EPSS probability3.75%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe XMP Toolkit SDK 2020.1 and earlier allows local users to crash an application via a crafted PSD file. PSD_MetaHandler::CacheFileData trusts attacker-controlled color-mode and image-resource lengths without ensuring the derived offsets and resource data remain within the file and parsed resource block. Exploitation requires a victim to open the file in an application that integrates the affected XMPFiles library; the documented consequence is an application crash in the current user's context.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-36054
Published
Sep 1, 2021
Updated
Nov 3, 2025
Vendor
Adobe
Product
XMP Toolkit SDK
Classifications
CWE-122, CWE-787, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 1, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 3, 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 <=2020.1
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=None

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Adobe · XMP Toolkit SDKversion=unspecified <=2020.1; version=unspecified <=None

Published CVSS scores

4.3NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
3.3Adobe Systems Incorporated CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
6.1Adobe PSIRT APSB21-65CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
5.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-122Heap-based Buffer Overflow
CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
T1204.002User Execution Malicious File

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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