Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-36000 is a high-severity Adobe Character Animator flaw. A malicious file could trigger memory corruption and run code as the person who opened it. This is mainly a workstation risk for users who receive or open Character Animator files from untrusted sources.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for users who exchange animation project files externally. This is not documented as actively exploited in the provided sources, but arbitrary code execution through user-opened files can support workstation compromise and data theft.
Technical view
Adobe Character Animator 4.2 and earlier is affected by a CWE-788 memory corruption issue during crafted file parsing. The CVSS 3.1 score is 7.8. Attack vector is local with low complexity, no privileges required, and required user interaction. Successful exploitation can affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on creative, media, training, or marketing workstations with Adobe Character Animator 4.2 or earlier installed. The provided affected-product metadata is sparse, so inventory should focus on installed Character Animator versions and Adobe’s advisory.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation requires convincing a user to open a malicious file, so phishing, shared assets, or third-party project files are the main plausible delivery paths.
Researcher notes
Key unknowns are the exact fixed version and full affected build list; the bundle only names version 4.2 and earlier and includes Adobe APSB21-59 as the vendor reference. Avoid assuming exploit availability or specific file formats beyond crafted-file parsing.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Adobe Character Animator installations and versions.
- Check Adobe APSB21-59 for vendor update or mitigation guidance.
- Update or remove vulnerable Character Animator installations where applicable.
- Limit opening Character Animator files from untrusted sources.
- Use least-privilege workstation accounts for creative workflows.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether any endpoint runs Character Animator 4.2 or earlier.
- Verify remediation status against Adobe APSB21-59 guidance.
- Review recent handling of untrusted Character Animator files.
- Check endpoint telemetry for suspicious child processes from Character Animator.
- Document exceptions for 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-788: 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-2021-36000 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/in/security/products/character_animator/apsb21-59.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.
Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer
Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.