Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A malicious TrueType font file could make Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 overwrite memory and run code as the person who opened it. The attack requires user interaction, so exposure is concentrated in teams that open fonts, templates, attachments, or shared creative assets from external sources.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority workstation remediation issue for creative or marketing users. It is not described as remotely exploitable without user action, but successful exploitation could give an attacker the same access as the affected user.
Technical view
CVE-2021-39825 is a CWE-787 out-of-bounds write in TTF font parsing affecting Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 build 19.0 (20210304.m.156367) and earlier. Successful exploitation could execute arbitrary code in the current user context after a victim opens a malicious TTF file.
Likely exposure
Organizations are most exposed where Photoshop Elements 2021 is installed on user workstations that receive or process externally supplied font files. The provided sources do not identify server-side exposure or affected Adobe products beyond Photoshop Elements.
Exploitation context
The supplied data says exploitation requires a victim to open a malicious TTF file. It is not listed as CISA KEV in the bundle, and no supplied source establishes active exploitation or public weaponization.
Researcher notes
The key technical condition is malicious TTF parsing in Photoshop Elements leading to out-of-bounds write and arbitrary code execution. The provided bundle does not include fixed build details, indicators of compromise, exploit availability, or proof of active exploitation.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Photoshop Elements 2021 installations and record exact build numbers.
- Check Adobe APSB21-77 for the vendor-supported fixed version or update path.
- Update, replace, or remove affected builds according to Adobe guidance.
- Limit acceptance of untrusted TTF files in creative workflows.
- Educate users not to open unexpected fonts from email or file shares.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Photoshop Elements 2021 build 19.0 or earlier is installed.
- Review endpoint software inventory for affected Adobe Photoshop Elements versions.
- Verify remediation against Adobe APSB21-77 rather than assuming any build is fixed.
- Check recent email, download, and file-share activity involving TTF files.
- Look for endpoint alerts tied to Photoshop Elements opening untrusted fonts.
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-787: 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-2021-39825 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/photoshop_elements/apsb21-77.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 Write
Out-of-bounds Write represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.