CVE-2021-40782

Application crash via crafted-file null dereference

Published Mar 16, 2022 · Updated Apr 23, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in Adobe Media Encoder 15.4.1 and earlier allows attackers to crash the application via a crafted media file. The file parser dereferences a null pointer while processing malformed file data, but Adobe has not disclosed the responsible format, function, or field. A victim must open the malicious file; successful exploitation terminates Media Encoder in the current user's context without reported data access or code execution.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Adobe Media Encoder 15.4.1 and earlier allows attackers to crash the application via a crafted media file. The file parser dereferences a null pointer while processing malformed file data, but Adobe has not disclosed the responsible format, function, or field. A victim must open the malicious file; successful exploitation terminates Media Encoder in the current user's context without reported data access or code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-40782
Published
Mar 16, 2022
Updated
Apr 23, 2025
Vendor
Adobe
Product
Adobe Media Encoder
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 16, 2022CVE 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 <=15.4.1
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=None

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Adobe · Adobe Media Encoderversion=unspecified <=15.4.1; version=unspecified <=None

Published CVSS scores

5.5AdobeCVSS: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 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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation
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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