Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Adobe Animate 21.0.6 and earlier can run attacker-controlled code if a user opens a malicious FLA file. This is not a network worm scenario, but it can compromise a designer or developer workstation with the user’s permissions.
Executive priority
Treat as high priority where Adobe Animate is used in production creative workflows. The business risk is targeted workstation compromise through malicious project files, not broad internet exposure.
Technical view
CVE-2021-28621 is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds read in Adobe Animate FLA file parsing. The CVSS 3.1 score is 7.8 with local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, and required user interaction. Successful exploitation can provide code execution as the current user.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on workstations with Adobe Animate 21.0.6 or earlier, especially teams that exchange or open FLA files from external sources.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Exploitation requires convincing a user to open a malicious file, so phishing or file-sharing workflows are the realistic path.
Researcher notes
The provided evidence identifies the affected product, vulnerability class, CVSS vector, and user-interaction requirement. It does not provide exploit details, observed exploitation, or a specific fixed version in the bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Identify all Adobe Animate installations and versions.
- Prioritize systems running Animate 21.0.6 or earlier.
- Check Adobe APSB21-50 for the vendor-approved update or remediation.
- Warn users not to open unexpected or untrusted FLA files.
- Restrict external FLA handling until systems are updated.
Validation and detection
- Compare installed Animate versions against the affected 21.0.6-and-earlier range.
- Confirm remediation status against Adobe APSB21-50.
- Review endpoint inventory for unmanaged Animate installations.
- Check file intake workflows for external FLA exposure.
- Document any systems that cannot be updated immediately.
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 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-2021-28621 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 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/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:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/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/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.