CVE-2025-47120: Adobe FrameMaker Stack Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
Welcome to our deep dive into CVE-2025-47120, a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Adobe FrameMaker. This post will break down the vulnerability, its potential impact, and recommended steps to mitigate the risk.
🔍 TL;DR Summary
CVE-2025-47120 is a stack-based buffer overflow in Adobe FrameMaker (versions 2020.8, 2022.6, and earlier). Exploitation requires a user to open a malicious file, potentially leading to the disclosure of sensitive memory. While it requires user interaction, the risk is still significant for organizations handling sensitive documents.
🚨 Vulnerability Details
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-47120
- Description: Adobe Framemaker versions 2020.8, 2022.6 and earlier are affected by a Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability that could lead to disclosure of sensitive memory. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.
- CVSS Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)
- CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
- CVSS Vector Explanation:
- AV:L (Local): The attacker needs local access to the system.
- AC:L (Low): The attack complexity is low, meaning it's relatively easy to trigger.
- PR:N (None): No privileges are required to perform the attack.
- UI:R (Required): User interaction is required (e.g., opening a file).
- S:U (Unchanged): The security scope is unchanged.
- C:H (High): There is a high impact on confidentiality, meaning sensitive data can be disclosed.
- I:N (None): No impact on integrity.
- A:N (None): No impact on availability.
- Exploit Requirements: Victim must open a specially crafted malicious file.
- Affected Vendor: Adobe
- Affected Product: FrameMaker
- Affected Versions: 2020.8, 2022.6 and earlier
- CWE: CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow)
- CWE Explanation: A stack-based buffer overflow occurs when a program writes beyond the boundaries of a buffer located on the stack. This can overwrite adjacent memory, potentially leading to information disclosure, code execution, or denial of service. In this case, it leads to information disclosure.
📅 Timeline of Events
- 2025-07-08: CVE Published
- TBD: Patch Release (Check Adobe Security Bulletin)
🧠 Exploitability & Real-World Risk
The exploitability of this vulnerability hinges on social engineering. An attacker would need to convince a user to open a malicious FrameMaker file. In environments where users frequently handle documents from untrusted sources (e.g., through email or downloads), the risk is elevated. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read sensitive information stored in memory, which could include user credentials, API keys, or other confidential data.
🛠️ Recommendations
- Apply the Patch: Once available, immediately apply the security patch provided by Adobe.
- Exercise Caution: Educate users to be extremely cautious when opening FrameMaker files from untrusted sources.
- Security Awareness Training: Implement regular security awareness training to teach users about phishing and social engineering tactics.
- File Scanning: Consider using file scanning tools to detect potentially malicious FrameMaker files before they are opened.
🧪 Technical Insight
A stack-based buffer overflow happens when a program tries to write more data into a buffer on the stack than it can hold. The 'stack' is a region of memory used for function calls and local variables. By overflowing this buffer, an attacker can overwrite nearby memory locations. In this case, the overflow leads to memory disclosure, allowing the attacker to potentially read sensitive information. The specific mechanism likely involves crafting a malformed FrameMaker file that triggers the overflow when parsed.
🙌 Credit to Researcher(s)
Credit for the discovery of this vulnerability goes to the Adobe Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT).
🔗 References
🧵 Tags
#CVE-2025-47120 #AdobeFrameMaker #BufferOverflow #MemoryDisclosure #Security #Vulnerability
Summary: CVE-2025-47120 is a stack-based buffer overflow in Adobe FrameMaker versions 2020.8, 2022.6, and earlier. Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious file, potentially leading to the disclosure of sensitive memory. Apply the patch once available and exercise caution when handling untrusted FrameMaker files.
CVE ID: CVE-2025-47120
Risk Analysis: Successful exploitation could lead to the disclosure of sensitive information, such as user credentials, proprietary data, or intellectual property. This could have significant business and reputational impacts.
Recommendation: Apply the latest security patches from Adobe as soon as they are released. Educate users to be cautious when opening FrameMaker files from untrusted sources. Implement file scanning tools to detect potentially malicious files.
Timeline
- 2025-07-08: CVE Published