Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a low-severity Adobe After Effects flaw triggered when a user opens a malicious MOV file. It can disclose small amounts of process memory, potentially helping bypass protections like ASLR. Business risk is mainly to creative workstations handling untrusted media.
Executive priority
Treat this as routine but necessary workstation hygiene. It is not currently evidenced as actively exploited, but exposed creative endpoints should be updated because media files are commonly exchanged with third parties.
Technical view
CVE-2021-44192 is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds read in Adobe After Effects MOV parsing. Affected versions are 22.0 and earlier and 18.4.2 and earlier. CVSS 3.1 is 3.3: local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, user interaction required, confidentiality impact only.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to endpoints running affected Adobe After Effects versions, especially teams receiving external MOV or project media files. Servers and systems without After Effects are not indicated as affected by the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The sources state exploitation requires user interaction: a victim must open a malicious file. The bundle does not identify active exploitation, and KEV status is false. The memory disclosure may be useful in a broader attack chain, but standalone impact is limited.
Researcher notes
The key technical signal is CWE-125 with confidentiality-only impact. The ASLR-bypass language suggests potential chain value, but the provided sources do not prove weaponized exploitation or name a standalone data-leak scenario. Patch details should be taken from Adobe APSB21-115.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Adobe After Effects installations and versions.
- Follow Adobe APSB21-115 vendor guidance for updates or mitigations.
- Prioritize patching creative workstations handling external media.
- Avoid opening unsolicited or untrusted MOV files in affected versions.
- Use normal endpoint controls for suspicious attachment and download handling.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether After Effects 22.0 or earlier is installed.
- Confirm whether After Effects 18.4.2 or earlier is installed.
- Compare installed versions against Adobe APSB21-115 guidance.
- Review media intake workflows for untrusted MOV file exposure.
- Check whether high-risk users handle external client media.
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-2021-44192 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/after_effects/apsb21-115.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.