CVE-2021-43017

Local installer denial of service via planted file

Published Nov 18, 2021 · Updated Apr 23, 2025

Application denial of service in Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop 5.5 and earlier allows local users to interrupt its installer on macOS. The installer creates a temporary file in a directory with incorrect permissions, allowing a planted malicious file to disrupt installation. Exploitation requires root privileges, a malicious file planted on the victim's machine, and user interaction before product installation; Adobe reports no confidentiality or integrity impact.

CVSS severity4.2
Medium
EPSS probability1.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Application denial of service in Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop 5.5 and earlier allows local users to interrupt its installer on macOS. The installer creates a temporary file in a directory with incorrect permissions, allowing a planted malicious file to disrupt installation. Exploitation requires root privileges, a malicious file planted on the victim's machine, and user interaction before product installation; Adobe reports no confidentiality or integrity impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-43017
Published
Nov 18, 2021
Updated
Apr 23, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-379, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 18, 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

3.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:P
4.2AdobeCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-379Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Insecure Permissions
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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