Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a low-severity Adobe Media Encoder flaw triggered when a user opens a malicious MOV file. The known impact is limited information disclosure from memory, which could help bypass protections such as ASLR. It does not indicate direct remote compromise, data modification, or service disruption.
Executive priority
Handle through normal endpoint patching, with priority for users who process external media. Escalation is warranted only if vendor guidance shows broader exposure or internal telemetry suggests targeted malicious MOV delivery.
Technical view
CVE-2021-43760 is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds read in Adobe Media Encoder MOV parsing affecting versions 22.0, 15.4.2, and earlier. Attack complexity is low, privileges are not required, but user interaction is required. CVSS is 3.3 with confidentiality-only impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on creative or media-processing endpoints running Adobe Media Encoder versions 22.0, 15.4.2, or earlier, especially where users receive and open external MOV files.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show active exploitation, and CISA KEV status is false. Exploitation requires convincing a victim to open a malicious MOV file.
Researcher notes
The available evidence supports a local, user-assisted MOV parsing information disclosure. The main security relevance is potential mitigation bypass assistance, not standalone code execution. The source bundle does not provide exploit details, proof of exploitation, or complete patch-version mapping.
Mitigation direction
- Check Adobe APSB21-118 for the vendor-approved update path.
- Update affected Adobe Media Encoder installations according to Adobe guidance.
- Limit opening MOV files from untrusted or unexpected sources.
- Prioritize systems used by media, marketing, and production teams.
- Maintain endpoint monitoring for suspicious file-delivery or crash patterns.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Adobe Media Encoder installations and versions across endpoints.
- Flag versions 22.0, 15.4.2, and earlier for remediation review.
- Confirm remediation status against Adobe APSB21-118.
- Review workflows where external MOV files are accepted or processed.
- Check security telemetry for unexpected Media Encoder crashes after MOV handling.
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
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ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CWE-125: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-43760 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
- Low
- CVSS
- 3.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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:L/I:N/A:N1.81.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
3.3LowVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/media-encoder/apsb21-118.htmlCVE reference · vendor-advisory
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 Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.