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CVE-2025-30319: NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476) in Adobe InDesign Desktop

Medium
VulnerabilityCVE-2025-30319cvecve-2025-30319cwe-476
Published: Tue May 13 2025 (05/13/2025, 17:09:04 UTC)
Source: CVE
Vendor/Project: Adobe
Product: InDesign Desktop

Description

InDesign Desktop versions ID19.5.2, ID20.2 and earlier are affected by a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability that could lead to application denial-of-service. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to crash the application, causing a disruption in service. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

AI-Powered Analysis

AILast updated: 07/12/2025, 01:17:45 UTC

Technical Analysis

CVE-2025-30319 is a vulnerability identified in Adobe InDesign Desktop versions ID19.5.2, ID20.2, and earlier. The issue is classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476), which occurs when the application attempts to access or dereference a pointer that has a null value. This flaw can cause the application to crash, resulting in a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability requires user interaction for exploitation, specifically the victim must open a maliciously crafted InDesign file. There is no indication that the vulnerability leads to confidentiality or integrity breaches, but it disrupts availability by crashing the software. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is local (AV:L), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but user interaction is necessary (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact affects only availability (A:H) without compromising confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. This vulnerability could be leveraged by attackers to disrupt workflows relying on Adobe InDesign Desktop, particularly in environments where document processing and design are critical. Given the dependency on user action and the lack of privilege requirements, social engineering or phishing campaigns could be used to deliver malicious files to targeted users.

Potential Impact

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability primarily concerns operational disruption. Industries such as publishing, marketing, media, and design firms that rely heavily on Adobe InDesign for desktop publishing could experience workflow interruptions if attackers exploit this vulnerability. The denial-of-service condition could lead to loss of productivity, delayed project timelines, and potential financial losses. While the vulnerability does not expose sensitive data or allow code execution, repeated crashes could degrade user trust and increase support costs. Organizations with remote or hybrid work models might face increased risk if malicious files are distributed via email or collaboration platforms. Additionally, sectors with regulatory requirements for availability and operational continuity (e.g., media outlets, advertising agencies) could face compliance challenges if service disruptions occur. However, since exploitation requires user interaction and no privilege escalation is involved, the overall risk is moderate but should not be ignored.

Mitigation Recommendations

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should implement a multi-layered approach: 1) Educate users about the risks of opening unsolicited or unexpected InDesign files, emphasizing cautious handling of email attachments and downloads. 2) Enforce strict email filtering and attachment scanning policies to detect and block potentially malicious files targeting InDesign. 3) Deploy endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting abnormal application crashes or suspicious file behaviors related to InDesign. 4) Maintain an inventory of Adobe InDesign versions in use and prioritize upgrading to patched versions once Adobe releases updates addressing this vulnerability. 5) Implement application whitelisting or sandboxing for InDesign to limit the impact of crashes and prevent potential lateral movement. 6) Monitor logs and user reports for frequent InDesign crashes that could indicate exploitation attempts. 7) Coordinate with IT and security teams to establish incident response procedures specific to application denial-of-service events. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on user behavior, proactive detection, and operational readiness tailored to the nature of this vulnerability.

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Technical Details

Data Version
5.1
Assigner Short Name
adobe
Date Reserved
2025-03-20T17:36:17.306Z
Cisa Enriched
true
Cvss Version
3.1
State
PUBLISHED

Threat ID: 682d9815c4522896dcbd5fcf

Added to database: 5/21/2025, 9:08:37 AM

Last enriched: 7/12/2025, 1:17:45 AM

Last updated: 8/15/2025, 5:05:45 AM

Views: 12

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