Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2026-27290 is a high-severity Untrusted Search Path (CWE-426) vulnerability in Adobe Framemaker. Its CVSS base score is 8.6 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable (T1574.007); ranked at the 7th 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 CM-6 (Configuration Settings) and CM-7 (Least Functionality) — 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-2026-27290 is an Untrusted Search Path vulnerability (CWE-426) affecting Adobe FrameMaker versions 2022.8 and earlier. The flaw arises when the application relies on a search path to locate critical resources, such as programs, allowing an attacker to modify that path to redirect to a malicious executable. This could enable arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.
A local attacker with no privileges required (PR:N) can exploit this vulnerability with low attack complexity (AC:L), though user interaction is rated as required (UI:R) per the CVSS v3.1 score of 8.6 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H). By altering the search path, the attacker tricks FrameMaker into running their malicious code upon application launch or resource access, achieving high-impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability violations with elevated scope (S:C) in the user's security context. Notably, the vulnerability description indicates exploitation does not require user interaction.
Adobe's Security Bulletin APSB26-36 at https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/framemaker/apsb26-36.html provides details on mitigation, including available patches for affected FrameMaker versions. Security practitioners should apply these updates promptly and review search path configurations to prevent unauthorized modifications.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-22778
Vulnerability Data
Adobe Framemaker versions 2022.8 and earlier are affected by an Untrusted Search Path vulnerability that might allow attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. If the application uses a search path to locate critical resources…
more
such as programs, then an attacker could modify that search path to point to a malicious program, which the targeted application would then execute. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Secure baseline settings can enforce absolute, organization-controlled paths for critical resources.
Least-functionality configuration can prohibit unapproved directories or executables from being reachable via search paths.
Engineering principles such as trusted paths, complete mediation, and least privilege directly require hard-coded or validated search paths instead of external ones.
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.
Hardened configuration baselines can enforce safe search paths and restrict environment variables that enable the weakness.
Preventing execution of unauthorized code directly blocks the malicious binaries that an untrusted search path would load.
Secure development practices include avoiding or sanitizing externally influenced search paths in application code.
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.
Restricting software installation reduces the chance that untrusted binaries or libraries are placed in search paths.
Secure architecture principles include hard-coded or validated search paths and avoiding reliance on untrusted directories.
Secure coding standards require absolute paths or integrity-checked search paths, directly mitigating CWE-426.
Security testing can discover search-path issues but does not itself prevent them in production code.