Cyber Posture

CVE-2025-21160

High

Published: 11 February 2025

Published
11 February 2025
Modified
03 March 2025
KEV Added
Patch
CVSS Score 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0007 21.0th percentile
Risk Priority 16 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2025-21160 is a high-severity Wrap or Wraparound (CWE-191) vulnerability in Adobe Illustrator. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Malicious File (T1204.002); ranked at the 21.0th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 RA-5 (Vulnerability Monitoring and Scanning) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Malicious File (T1204.002). What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.
Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

prevent

Directly remediates the integer underflow vulnerability in Adobe Illustrator by requiring timely installation of vendor security patches.

detect

Identifies systems running vulnerable versions of Adobe Illustrator (29.1, 28.7.3, and earlier) through regular vulnerability scanning.

preventdetect

Deploys malicious code protection mechanisms to scan and block malicious files exploiting the vulnerability before user interaction or detect resulting code execution.

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1204.002 Malicious File Execution
An adversary may rely upon a user opening a malicious file in order to gain execution.
Why these techniques?

Integer underflow in file parser enables arbitrary code execution triggered by opening a malicious Illustrator file (direct match to malicious file user execution).

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v18.1

NVD Description

Illustrator versions 29.1, 28.7.3 and earlier are affected by an Integer Underflow (Wrap or Wraparound) 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…

more

victim must open a malicious file.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2025-21160 is an Integer Underflow (Wrap or Wraparound) vulnerability, classified as CWE-191, affecting Adobe Illustrator versions 29.1, 28.7.3, and earlier. Published on 2025-02-11, the flaw could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.

Exploitation requires user interaction, as a victim must open a malicious file. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) indicates a local attacker with no privileges needed can exploit it with low attack complexity, leading to high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the unchanged user scope.

Adobe's security advisory at https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb25-11.html provides details on the issue.

Details

CWE(s)

Affected Products

adobe
illustrator
28.0 — 28.7.4 · 29.0 — 29.2.1

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-21122Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2026-34618Same product: Adobe Illustrator
CVE-2025-21159Same product: Adobe Illustrator
CVE-2025-21156Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-27168Same product: Adobe Illustrator
CVE-2025-21158Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-21163Same product: Adobe Illustrator
CVE-2025-21135Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-27169Same product: Adobe Illustrator
CVE-2025-21128Same product: Apple Macos

References