CVE-2021-40702

Code execution via out-of-bounds PSD parsing

Published Sep 27, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Memory corruption in Adobe Premiere Elements 2021.2235820 and earlier allows attackers to execute code through a malicious PSD file. Its PSD parser accesses memory beyond a buffer boundary while handling crafted file data; Adobe has not identified the affected parser routine. A user must open the file, and successful exploitation runs code with that user's privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability1.70%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory corruption in Adobe Premiere Elements 2021.2235820 and earlier allows attackers to execute code through a malicious PSD file. Its PSD parser accesses memory beyond a buffer boundary while handling crafted file data; Adobe has not identified the affected parser routine. A user must open the file, and successful exploitation runs code with that user's privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-40702
Published
Sep 27, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
Adobe
Product
Premiere
Classifications
CWE-119, CWE-788, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 27, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=2021.2235820
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=None

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Adobe · Premiereversion=unspecified <=2021.2235820; version=unspecified <=None

Published CVSS scores

7.8AdobeCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.3NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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-119Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
CWE-788Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer
T1204.002Malicious 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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