Description

Adobe XD is affected by a Buffer Overflow vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-25T18:18:00.903Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-25T18:18:00.903Z",
  "executiveSummary": "Adobe XD is susceptible to a buffer overflow vulnerability, a memory corruption flaw that occurs when an application writes data beyond the boundaries of a pre-allocated fixed-length block of memory.\nThe successful exploitation of this vulnerability permits an attacker to execute arbitrary code within the security context of the current user, potentially leading to a complete compromise of the user's session.\nThe vulnerability is triggered by parsing a specially crafted malicious file, necessitating successful user interaction to initiate the exploit process.\nThe impact is significant, as it grants attackers the ability to run unauthorized operations, access sensitive data, or install persistent threats on the host system without prior authorization.\nNo authentication is required to initiate the attack; however, the vector is dependent on the target user opening an externally provided file through Adobe XD.",
  "technicalDetails": "The core issue is a buffer overflow condition within Adobe XD, likely originating from improper bounds checking during the parsing or processing of file structures. When Adobe XD handles a malicious input file containing carefully engineered data, the application fails to validate the size of the input against the destination buffer allocated in memory.\nDuring execution, the application attempts to copy the attacker-supplied payload into a stack or heap-based buffer. Because the input size exceeds the capacity of the destination memory region, the overflow overwrites adjacent memory locations. This typically involves the corruption of return addresses, function pointers, or saved frame pointers on the stack.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the attacker creates a malicious file designed to trigger the overflow upon being parsed by Adobe XD. Second, the attacker delivers this file to the victim via social engineering, email, or a compromised download source. Third, the victim opens the malicious file within the Adobe XD application. Fourth, the application's internal file-parsing routine triggers the overflow, leading to the corruption of the execution flow.\nBy precisely overwriting the return address or overwriting critical control structures, the attacker can redirect the instruction pointer (EIP/RIP) to execute shellcode contained within the malicious file or perform return-oriented programming (ROP) to bypass data execution prevention (DEP) and address space layout randomization (ASLR) protections. Since the code executes in the context of the current user, it inherits the user's system permissions, allowing the injected code to perform any action the user is authorized to execute.\nPost-exploitation activities can range from establishing a reverse shell for persistent remote access, exfiltrating sensitive design assets and system information, or facilitating lateral movement within the network. Because the vulnerability is client-side, the risk is persistent as long as the application remains unpatched or the malicious file remains accessible to the user. Memory-based corruption vulnerabilities of this nature frequently circumvent standard perimeter security controls, as they rely on the legitimate processing of a file format rather than direct network-level communication."
}