Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-28612 is a memory-reading flaw in Adobe After Effects 18.2 and earlier. A victim must open a malicious file for exploitation. Successful exploitation could expose sensitive memory and crash the application under the current user context.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority workstation risk. It is not reported as actively exploited in the provided sources, but it can expose memory and disrupt users if malicious files reach creative staff.
Technical view
Adobe describes an out-of-bounds read, CWE-125, in After Effects file parsing. The CVSS 3.1 score is 6.1: local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, required user interaction, high confidentiality impact, and low availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on creative workstations running Adobe After Effects 18.2 or earlier, especially where users receive project files, templates, or media from external parties. The provided sources do not identify affected platforms beyond Adobe After Effects.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation requires social engineering or another delivery path that gets a user to open a specially crafted file.
Researcher notes
The evidence supports an out-of-bounds read during crafted-file parsing with confidentiality and availability impact only. The source bundle does not provide exploit details, fixed version text, platform scope, or indicators of compromise.
Mitigation direction
- Review Adobe APSB21-49 and apply vendor-recommended After Effects updates.
- Prioritize patching systems running After Effects 18.2 or earlier.
- Restrict opening untrusted After Effects files or attachments.
- Handle externally supplied project files in controlled workstations where practical.
- Remind creative teams to verify file sources before opening.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed Adobe After Effects versions across managed endpoints.
- Confirm no production workstation remains on version 18.2 or earlier.
- Review endpoint controls for externally sourced creative files.
- Check whether Adobe APSB21-49 guidance has been applied.
- Monitor helpdesk or EDR signals for unusual After Effects crashes.
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-125: 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 lookupCVE-2021-28612 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.1 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L
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:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L1.84.2Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.1MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/after_effects/apsb21-49.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 Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.