Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Adobe Animate 21.0.6 and earlier can read memory outside intended bounds when a user opens a malicious file. This could expose sensitive information from the current user’s context. It is not described as remotely exploitable without user interaction.
Executive priority
Treat as a targeted workstation data-exposure risk, not an internet-facing emergency. Prioritize remediation where Animate users handle third-party files or sensitive projects.
Technical view
CVE-2021-28618 is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds read in Adobe Animate file parsing. CVSS 3.0 is 5.5 with local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, required user interaction, and high confidentiality impact only.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on workstations where Adobe Animate is installed, especially creative, marketing, training, and contractor environments that receive external animation files.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Exploitation requires a victim to open a specially crafted malicious file.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports memory disclosure only: confidentiality impact is high, with no stated integrity or availability impact. Patch details are not included in the bundle beyond Adobe’s bulletin reference.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory systems running Adobe Animate 21.0.6 or earlier.
- Apply Adobe’s APSB21-50 guidance or current vendor-recommended updates.
- Limit opening Animate files from untrusted or unsolicited sources.
- Use endpoint protection and attachment scanning for creative file workflows.
- Prefer isolated review environments for externally supplied project files.
Validation and detection
- Check installed Adobe Animate versions against the affected 21.0.6-and-earlier range.
- Confirm remediation status against Adobe APSB21-50 or current Adobe guidance.
- Review teams that receive Animate files from external parties.
- Look for endpoint detections involving suspicious creative-file attachments.
- Verify users handling external files have safe intake procedures.
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-2021-28618 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
- 5.5 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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:N/A:N1.83.6Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
5.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/animate/apsb21-50.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.