Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw lets a malicious Adobe Animate project file potentially run code when a user opens it. The attack needs user interaction, but impact is serious because code runs as the current user and can affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted workstation risk for teams using Adobe Animate. Prioritize patching or removal on creative endpoints, especially where users handle external project files. Urgency is high, but the supplied evidence does not support claims of active exploitation.
Technical view
CVE-2021-42267 is a CWE-788 memory corruption issue in Adobe Animate FLA file parsing. Adobe Animate 21.0.9 and earlier are listed as affected. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8 with local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, and required user interaction.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on designer, marketing, creative, or training workstations where Adobe Animate is installed and users open FLA files from email, downloads, shared drives, or partners.
Exploitation context
The provided bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation requires convincing a user to open a malicious FLA file, so phishing or poisoned shared project files are the plausible delivery paths.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sufficient for affected product, impact, CVSS, and interaction requirements, but incomplete for exact fixed version details within the supplied bundle. Avoid exploit assumptions; validate installed versions and remediation status directly against Adobe’s advisory.
Mitigation direction
- Consult Adobe APSB21-105 and update Adobe Animate to the vendor-fixed, supported release.
- Remove Adobe Animate from systems where it is not required.
- Restrict opening untrusted FLA files from email, downloads, and external collaborators.
- Run Animate under least-privilege user accounts on managed endpoints.
- Use endpoint and mail controls to quarantine suspicious or unsolicited FLA files.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Adobe Animate installations and flag version 21.0.9 or earlier.
- Confirm remediation status against Adobe APSB21-105 in patch management records.
- Review whether users receive or open FLA files from untrusted sources.
- Check EDR and mail logs for unusual FLA delivery or execution events.
- Verify affected workstations run with least-privilege user profiles.
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
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CWE-788: Exact CWE lookup
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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-2021-42267 mapping review
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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/apsb21-105.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.