Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-42270 is a high-severity Adobe Animate flaw. If a user opens a malicious BMP file, the attacker could run code with that user’s privileges. Business risk is concentrated where Animate is installed and users receive or handle external media files.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for creative workstations and shared media-processing environments. This is not remotely wormable, but a targeted file lure could compromise a user workstation.
Technical view
Adobe Animate 21.0.9 and earlier contain an out-of-bounds write in BMP file parsing. The CVSS 3.0 score is 7.8 with local attack vector and required user interaction. Successful exploitation may provide confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact under the current user context.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to endpoints with Adobe Animate 21.0.9 or earlier installed, especially creative teams handling BMP or externally supplied image files.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Exploitation requires user interaction: opening a malicious BMP file.
Researcher notes
The vulnerability maps to CWE-787 and arbitrary code execution through BMP parsing. The bundle does not provide exploit details, indicators, or fixed-version specifics beyond the Adobe advisory reference.
Mitigation direction
- Identify endpoints running Adobe Animate 21.0.9 or earlier.
- Apply Adobe guidance from APSB21-105 or current vendor update instructions.
- Limit opening BMP files from untrusted sources in Adobe Animate.
- Remove Adobe Animate from systems where it is not required.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed Adobe Animate versions across managed endpoints.
- Confirm whether affected systems are at or below version 21.0.9.
- Verify remediation against Adobe APSB21-105 or current vendor guidance.
- Review user workflows for externally supplied BMP files.
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-2021-42270 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 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/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:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.0/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.
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.