Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-21132

Memory Safety in Adobe Substance 3D Stager ≤ 3.1.0

Published
14 January 2025
Modified
17 January 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0021 12th percentile
Risk Priority 55 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-21132 is a high-severity Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787) vulnerability in Adobe Substance 3D Stager. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 12th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-15 (Development Process, Standards, and Tools) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2025-21132 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability (CWE-787) in Adobe Substance 3D Stager versions 3.0.4 and earlier. The flaw enables arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user upon opening a malicious file, as disclosed on January 14, 2025.

With a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), the vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker who has local access to the target system. Exploitation requires low complexity and no privileges but depends on user interaction, such as convincing the victim to open a specially crafted malicious file. Successful exploitation grants the attacker high-impact control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability, potentially fully compromising the affected user's system.

Adobe's security bulletin APSB25-03, available at https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/substance3d_stager/apsb25-03.html, provides details on the vulnerability and mitigation steps, including patches for affected versions.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Substance3D - Stager versions 3.0.4 and earlier are affected by an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must…

more

open a malicious file.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
T1211 Exploitation for Stealth Stealth
Adversaries may exploit vulnerabilities to evade detection by hiding activity, suppressing logging, or operating within trusted or unmonitored components.
T1212 Exploitation for Credential Access Credential Access
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to collect credentials.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-21130Same product: Adobe Substance 3D Stager
CVE-2024-45152Same product: Adobe Substance 3D Stager
CVE-2025-43569Same product: Adobe Substance 3D Stager
CVE-2024-45140Same product: Adobe Substance 3D Stager
CVE-2024-45144Same product: Adobe Substance 3D Stager
CVE-2025-21131Same product: Adobe Substance 3D Stager
CVE-2023-25866Same product: Adobe Substance 3D Stager
CVE-2023-25870Same product: Adobe Substance 3D Stager
CVE-2024-45141Same product: Adobe Substance 3D Stager
CVE-2024-45139Same product: Adobe Substance 3D Stager

Affected Assets

adobe
substance 3d stager
≤ 3.1.0

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation (including fuzzing and bounds checks) finds out-of-bounds write flaws before deployment.

Requiring documented secure-development standards and tools can mandate bounds-checked coding practices that avoid the weakness.

Input validation can structurally reject or sanitize data that would otherwise trigger an out-of-bounds write.

Memory-protection mechanisms limit the exploitability and blast radius of a successful out-of-bounds write.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure-development practices (static analysis, bounds checking, code review) are the primary means of preventing out-of-bounds writes.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

Vulnerability scanning and recording can discover out-of-bounds write flaws so they can be remediated.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Patching or replacing vulnerable software directly eliminates known instances of this coding weakness.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

finds

Security testing in development and acceptance can detect and prevent out-of-bounds write defects.

prevents

Secure development life cycle mandates practices that prevent out-of-bounds writes.

prevents

Application security requirements can specify bounds-checking and safe memory handling.

prevents

Secure architecture and engineering principles reduce the likelihood of buffer overflows.

prevents

Secure coding directly addresses out-of-bounds writes through language choice and coding standards.

prevents

Change management can enforce review gates that catch unsafe memory operations before deployment.

References