Code execution via out-of-bounds memory access
Published Mar 16, 2022 · Updated Apr 23, 2025
Memory corruption in Adobe Media Encoder 15.4.1 and earlier allows attackers to execute code by opening a malicious file. While processing the file, the affected code accesses a memory location beyond the end of a buffer; Adobe has not disclosed the parser or file format involved. Exploitation requires user interaction and runs code with the privileges of the current user, allowing that account's data and applications to be compromised.
Summary
What happened
Memory corruption in Adobe Media Encoder 15.4.1 and earlier allows attackers to execute code by opening a malicious file. While processing the file, the affected code accesses a memory location beyond the end of a buffer; Adobe has not disclosed the parser or file format involved. Exploitation requires user interaction and runs code with the privileges of the current user, allowing that account's data and applications to be compromised.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-40780
- Published
- Mar 16, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 23, 2025
- Vendor
- Adobe
- Product
- Adobe Media Encoder
- Classifications
- CWE-788, T1204.002
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 16, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <=15.4.1
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <=None
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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