CVE-2021-28611 is an out-of-bounds (OOB) read vulnerability classified under CWE-125, affecting Adobe After Effects version 18.2 and earlier. This vulnerability arises when the software parses a specially crafted file, allowing an attacker to read memory beyond the intended buffer boundaries. The consequence of this flaw is twofold: firstly, it can lead to the disclosure of sensitive memory information, potentially leaking confidential data processed or stored in memory by the application. Secondly, it can cause a denial of service (DoS) by crashing the application or causing it to behave unpredictably, disrupting normal operations. Exploitation does not require authentication but does require user interaction, specifically the victim opening a maliciously crafted file designed to trigger the vulnerability. Since the flaw is in the file parsing logic, it is exploitable remotely only if the attacker can convince the user to open or import the malicious file, which is common in social engineering or phishing scenarios. The vulnerability operates within the context of the current user, meaning that any impact is limited to the privileges of the user running Adobe After Effects. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no official patches or updates are linked in the provided data, indicating that mitigation may rely on general best practices or updates from Adobe. The vulnerability's medium severity rating reflects its potential to leak sensitive information and cause service disruption, but with limited scope due to required user interaction and lack of privilege escalation.

For European organizations, especially those in creative industries such as media production, advertising, and film, this vulnerability poses a risk of sensitive data leakage and operational disruption. The disclosure of memory contents could expose proprietary project data, intellectual property, or credentials stored in memory, leading to potential confidentiality breaches. The denial of service aspect could interrupt critical workflows, causing delays and financial losses. Since Adobe After Effects is widely used in digital content creation, organizations relying heavily on this software for production pipelines could face operational risks. However, the requirement for user interaction limits the risk of automated widespread exploitation. The impact is more pronounced in environments where users have elevated privileges or where sensitive data is processed within After Effects sessions. Additionally, organizations with lax security awareness training may be more susceptible to social engineering attacks that deliver malicious files. The lack of known active exploitation reduces immediate threat levels but does not eliminate the risk of targeted attacks or future exploitation. Overall, the vulnerability could affect confidentiality and availability but does not directly impact system integrity or allow privilege escalation.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should implement a combination of technical and procedural controls beyond generic patching advice. First, ensure that all Adobe After Effects installations are updated to the latest available version from Adobe, as vendors typically release patches for such vulnerabilities even if not explicitly linked here. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict the opening of After Effects project files to trusted sources only and implement strict file validation policies. Employ endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting and blocking malicious file behaviors related to Adobe products. Conduct targeted user awareness training emphasizing the risks of opening files from untrusted or unknown sources, particularly in creative teams. Use application whitelisting or sandboxing techniques to isolate After Effects processes, limiting the impact of potential crashes or memory disclosures. Monitor logs and system behavior for unusual crashes or memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Finally, implement network segmentation to limit the spread of any compromise resulting from this vulnerability and ensure regular backups of critical project files to minimize disruption from denial of service incidents.