Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw lets a malicious Photoshop file trigger memory corruption and potentially run code as the person who opens it. It requires user interaction, so the main business risk is phishing or file-sharing attacks against users with outdated Photoshop installations.
Executive priority
Treat as high priority for creative and design workstations, especially where staff exchange files externally. It is not described as wormable or actively exploited in the provided sources, but code execution from a malicious file is material business risk.
Technical view
CVE-2021-21051 is a CWE-120 buffer overflow in Adobe Photoshop parsing of a specially crafted JavaScript file. Affected versions are Photoshop 21.2.4 and earlier, and 22.1.1 and earlier. CVSS is 7.8 with local attack vector and required user interaction.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to systems running the affected Photoshop versions where users may open untrusted or externally supplied files. Creative, marketing, design, and contractor workstations are the most likely assets.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation requires a victim to open a malicious file, but successful exploitation could execute code with that user's privileges.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sufficient for affected product, impact, CVSS, CWE, and interaction requirement. The bundle does not provide exploit details, patch version numbers, or telemetry confirming exploitation, so validation should focus on installed versions and Adobe advisory status.
Mitigation direction
- Identify all installed Adobe Photoshop versions across managed endpoints.
- Apply Adobe guidance from APSB21-10 or current supported Photoshop updates.
- Prioritize users who routinely receive external design assets.
- Restrict or sandbox handling of untrusted Photoshop-related files where feasible.
- Educate users to avoid opening unexpected files from unknown senders.
Validation and detection
- Confirm no endpoints run Photoshop 21.2.4 or earlier.
- Confirm no endpoints run Photoshop 22.1.1 or earlier.
- Review software inventory for unmanaged creative workstations.
- Check endpoint telemetry for suspicious Photoshop child processes or crashes.
- Verify update status against Adobe's advisory or admin console data.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-120: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-21051 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb21-10.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow')
Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.