CVE Alert: CVE-2025-61832 – Adobe – InDesign Desktop

**Risk verdict**: High risk requiring user interaction, with potential arbitrary code execution if a malicious InDesign file is opened.

**Why this matters**: The vulnerability carries a 7.8 CVSS base score with high impacts to confidentiality, integrity and availability. In practice, an attacker only needs a user to open a crafted file, which could lead to full device compromise or data exposure within the user’s context, especially on desktops used for design workflows.

**Most likely attack path**: An attacker delivers a malicious InDesign document via phishing or shared file delivery. The user opens it, triggering a heap-based overflow that executes code locally under their rights; no privileges are required, but exploitation relies on user action. Lateral movement depends on existing access and privileges on the workstation.

**Who is most exposed**: Organisations with design/publishing teams using InDesign across Windows or macOS, where files are routinely opened from email, shared drives or cloud collaboration links.

**Detection ideas**:

• Anomalous InDesign process activity following file openings (unexpected child processes or memory spikes).
• Crashes or memory corruption events shortly after opening a file, with heap-related crash signatures.
• Unusual file access patterns around recently opened InDesign documents (network shares, temp folders).
• Endpoint telemetry showing memory write anomalies or code execution attempts attributed to InDesign.
• Security alerts tied to known maldocs or suspicious metadata in InDesign templates.

**Mitigation and prioritisation**:

• Apply the vendor patch to the affected InDesign versions; validate deployment in a test group before organisation-wide rollout.
• Enforce automatic updates and implement application whitelisting to prevent unapproved versions.
• Strengthen endpoint detection and response for InDesign activity: memory/heap anomalies, rapid crash events, and process lineage.
• Restrict user privileges; run design workstations under standard accounts to limit impact of exploitation.
• Enhance email and file screening for InDesign attachments or templates; disable auto-open of external templates where feasible. If KEV or EPSS data becomes available, adjust prioritisation accordingly.