Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-21101 is a high-severity Adobe Illustrator flaw. A malicious file can trigger memory corruption when Illustrator parses TTF font data, potentially letting an attacker run code as the signed-in user. It requires someone to open the file, so exposure is tied to user workflows and file-handling controls.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority desktop application remediation item, particularly for creative or marketing teams. It is not documented here as actively exploited, but successful exploitation could compromise a user workstation.
Technical view
Adobe Illustrator 25.2 and earlier are affected by a CWE-787 out-of-bounds write during specially crafted file parsing. The CVSS 3.1 score is 8.8, with network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Organizations with Adobe Illustrator 25.2 or earlier installed are most exposed, especially teams that receive external design files, font assets, email attachments, or shared project files.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation requires a victim to open a malicious file, limiting automation but making phishing and file-sharing workflows relevant.
Researcher notes
Key constraints are user interaction and current-user code execution. The provided data identifies Illustrator 25.2 and earlier, CWE-787, and CVSS 8.8. The bundle does not provide exploit telemetry, proof-of-concept status, or a specific fixed version.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Adobe Illustrator installations and identify versions 25.2 or earlier.
- Review Adobe APSB21-24 for the vendor-supported update or mitigation path.
- Prioritize users who regularly open external design, font, or attachment files.
- Limit opening untrusted files until affected Illustrator versions are remediated.
- Use endpoint controls to detect suspicious document-handling behavior where available.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed Illustrator versions across managed endpoints.
- Check whether any systems remain on Illustrator 25.2 or earlier.
- Verify remediation status against Adobe APSB21-24 guidance.
- Review recent alerts involving Illustrator opening files from external sources.
- Confirm user-facing file-handling guidance is current for design teams.
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-787: 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-2021-21101 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
- 8.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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/illustrator/apsb21-24.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.
Out-of-bounds Write
Out-of-bounds Write represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.