Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This vulnerability affects Accusoft ImageGear 19.9 when handling malformed PSD image data. A malicious file can trigger memory corruption, potentially allowing compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The sources do not confirm active exploitation or name a fixed release.
Executive priority
Treat as urgent where ImageGear 19.9 processes external or user-supplied files. Prioritize inventory and vendor remediation because the impact rating is critical, even though active exploitation is not confirmed in the provided sources.
Technical view
CVE-2021-21795 is a heap-based buffer overflow in ImageGear 19.9 PSD read_icc_icCurve_data handling. The described flaw involves an integer overflow that leads to heap buffer overflow when processing a crafted malformed file. CVSS is 9.8 critical with network attack vector and no privileges required.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where Accusoft ImageGear 19.9 is deployed to parse PSD files or process untrusted image uploads, attachments, or document workflows. The provided sources do not identify other affected versions or products.
Exploitation context
The source bundle says an attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger the flaw. CISA KEV status is false, and the supplied sources do not state that exploitation is active in the wild.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to CVE metadata and Talos reporting. Do not broaden affected versions without vendor confirmation. Focus validation on reachable PSD parsing paths and whether malformed external files can enter ImageGear 19.9 processing.
Mitigation direction
- Identify any use of Accusoft ImageGear 19.9 in production or embedded applications.
- Check Accusoft guidance for fixed versions or vendor-recommended remediation.
- Restrict or block untrusted PSD processing until remediation is confirmed.
- Run image parsing in isolated, least-privileged processing environments.
- Monitor workflows that accept external image uploads or attachments.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether ImageGear 19.9 exists in SBOMs, vendor inventories, or application dependencies.
- Map applications that parse PSD files using Accusoft ImageGear.
- Verify whether user-supplied files can reach affected parsing paths.
- Document patch or mitigation status against current Accusoft guidance.
- Review logs for crashes in image parsing services after malformed file handling.
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
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ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CWE-122: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-21795 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2021-1264CVE 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.
Heap-based Buffer Overflow
Heap-based Buffer Overflow represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.