CVE-2022-27783 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-121) found in Adobe After Effects versions 22.2.1 and earlier, as well as 18.4.5 and earlier. The vulnerability arises from insecure handling of crafted files within the application. When a user opens a maliciously crafted file in After Effects, the stack buffer overflow can be triggered, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user. This type of vulnerability is critical in that it can lead to full compromise of the affected application context, but exploitation requires user interaction, specifically opening a malicious file. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of this report, and no official patches or updates have been linked yet. The vulnerability primarily impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system running After Effects, as arbitrary code execution could lead to data theft, system manipulation, or denial of service. The vulnerability is categorized as medium severity by the vendor, but the lack of a CVSS score necessitates a more detailed severity assessment. The vulnerability affects widely used versions of Adobe After Effects, a popular digital visual effects and motion graphics software used extensively in media production, advertising, and entertainment industries. The technical root cause is a classic stack overflow due to improper bounds checking or input validation when processing certain file formats or data structures within the application. Exploitation requires crafted input and user action, limiting the attack vector to targeted social engineering or supply chain attacks involving malicious After Effects project files.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, particularly for companies in the media, advertising, film production, and creative industries that rely heavily on Adobe After Effects for content creation. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, enabling attackers to steal intellectual property, manipulate digital assets, or disrupt production workflows. This could result in financial losses, reputational damage, and operational downtime. Additionally, since After Effects often runs on workstations connected to corporate networks, compromise could serve as a foothold for lateral movement within an organization’s infrastructure, potentially exposing sensitive corporate data beyond the initial endpoint. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to deliver malicious files, increasing the risk for organizations with less mature cybersecurity awareness programs. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as threat actors may develop exploits over time. Organizations involved in critical infrastructure sectors or government media units may also be targeted due to the strategic value of their content and communications.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on user education and awareness to prevent opening untrusted or unsolicited After Effects project files, especially those received via email or external sources. 2. Implement strict email filtering and attachment scanning to detect and block potentially malicious files targeting After Effects. 3. Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to limit the execution context of After Effects and contain potential exploits. 4. Monitor network and endpoint behavior for anomalies indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unusual process spawning or memory usage patterns. 5. Maintain up-to-date backups of critical project files and digital assets to enable recovery in case of compromise. 6. Coordinate with Adobe for timely patch deployment once official updates addressing CVE-2022-27783 are released. 7. Consider restricting After Effects usage to dedicated, isolated workstations where possible, minimizing exposure of critical network segments. 8. Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting exploitation techniques related to buffer overflows and code injection. 9. Review and enforce least privilege principles for user accounts running After Effects to limit the impact of potential code execution.