CVE-2025-43589 is a high-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability affecting Adobe InDesign Desktop versions ID20.2, ID19.5.3, and earlier. This vulnerability arises when the application improperly manages memory, specifically freeing memory that is still in use, which can lead to arbitrary code execution within the context of the current user. The exploitation vector requires user interaction, as an attacker must convince the victim to open a specially crafted malicious InDesign file. Upon opening such a file, the vulnerability can be triggered, potentially allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code, leading to full compromise of the user’s session privileges. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 reflects a high severity, with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), user interaction required (UI:R), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that organizations should prioritize monitoring and mitigation. The vulnerability affects widely used versions of Adobe InDesign Desktop, a professional desktop publishing software commonly used in creative industries, marketing, and publishing sectors.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-43589 can be significant, especially for those in creative, media, publishing, and marketing sectors where Adobe InDesign is extensively used. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, resulting in data breaches, intellectual property theft, or disruption of business operations. Since the vulnerability executes code with the current user's privileges, if the user has elevated rights, the attacker could gain broader system access. This could also serve as a foothold for lateral movement within corporate networks. The requirement for user interaction (opening a malicious file) means phishing or social engineering campaigns could be leveraged to deliver the exploit. European organizations with remote or hybrid work environments may be particularly vulnerable due to increased file sharing and email usage. Additionally, the high confidentiality impact raises concerns for organizations handling sensitive or regulated data under GDPR, as exploitation could lead to data leakage and regulatory penalties.

Beyond standard advice to apply patches once available, European organizations should implement targeted mitigations: 1) Enforce strict email and file attachment filtering to detect and quarantine suspicious InDesign files. 2) Educate users on the risks of opening unsolicited or unexpected InDesign documents, emphasizing verification of file sources. 3) Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to restrict InDesign’s ability to execute arbitrary code or access critical system resources. 4) Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for anomalous behaviors indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unexpected memory operations or process injections related to InDesign. 5) Limit user privileges to the minimum necessary, reducing the impact of code execution under user context. 6) Maintain up-to-date backups of critical data to enable recovery in case of compromise. 7) Monitor threat intelligence feeds for emerging exploit code or indicators of compromise related to this CVE to enable rapid response.