CVE-2021-43753

Privilege escalation via TIF parser use-after-free

Published Sep 7, 2023 · Updated Feb 27, 2025

Use-after-free in Adobe Lightroom 4.4 and earlier allows attackers to gain privileges when a victim opens a crafted TIF file on Windows. The TIF parser performs operations on an object without first validating that the object still exists, leaving a freed object in use. Exploitation requires user interaction and affects the current Lightroom process; ZDI reports that code execution requires chaining with another flaw.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.41%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Adobe Lightroom 4.4 and earlier allows attackers to gain privileges when a victim opens a crafted TIF file on Windows. The TIF parser performs operations on an object without first validating that the object still exists, leaving a freed object in use. Exploitation requires user interaction and affects the current Lightroom process; ZDI reports that code execution requires chaining with another flaw.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-43753
Published
Sep 7, 2023
Updated
Feb 27, 2025
Vendor
Adobe
Product
Adobe Lightroom
Classifications
CWE-416, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 7, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 27, 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=0 <=4.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Adobe · Adobe Lightroomversion=0 <=4.4

Published CVSS scores

3.3Zero Day InitiativeCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
7.8AdobeCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.

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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-416Use After Free
T1204.002Malicious File

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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