Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A malicious file opened in Adobe After Effects could exploit a memory-reading flaw and run attacker-controlled code with the victim’s permissions. The issue requires user interaction, but successful exploitation could compromise data, alter files, or disrupt the workstation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority workstation remediation, particularly for creative teams receiving external files. It is less urgent than an interaction-free remote flaw, but potential code execution and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts justify prompt inventory, vendor-version confirmation, and updating.
Technical view
CVE-2026-21325 is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds read during crafted-file parsing. The supplied record assigns CVSS 3.1 score 7.8 and describes possible code execution as the current user. The vector indicates local access, low complexity, no privileges, required user interaction, unchanged scope, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Workstations running After Effects 25.6 or earlier are potentially exposed when users open untrusted files. Systems whose users frequently receive files from external parties warrant faster review. Exact affected build boundaries should be confirmed against Adobe’s advisory because the supplied structured version data is ambiguous.
Exploitation context
Exploitation requires a victim to open a malicious file; this is not described as remote, interaction-free compromise. The supplied bundle marks KEV false and provides no evidence of active exploitation. That absence does not prove exploitation is impossible or has never occurred.
Researcher notes
The narrative identifies After Effects 25.6 and earlier, while the structured affected array contains 0, 25.6.4, and 26.0 with a default unaffected status. Do not infer precise build ranges from that array alone. Confirm boundaries and remediation through Adobe APSB26-15. No exploit method, observed campaign, or named fixed version appears in the supplied bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Review Adobe advisory APSB26-15 and deploy its recommended fixed release to affected systems.
- Until updated, prevent users from opening untrusted After Effects files.
- Prioritize endpoints handling externally supplied files or holding sensitive data.
- Use least-privilege accounts to limit damage from code executing as the current user.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed After Effects versions and identify systems running 25.6 or earlier.
- Confirm exact vulnerable and fixed builds against Adobe advisory APSB26-15.
- Verify the vendor-recommended update is installed across identified endpoints.
- Review endpoint telemetry for After Effects crashes or suspicious activity following file-open events.
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-125: 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 lookupCVE-2026-21325 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.
SSVC decision data
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:H1.85.9adobeVulnerability 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
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/after_effects/apsb26-15.htmlCVE reference, adobe · 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.