CVE-2025-47122 is a high-severity heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-122) affecting Adobe FrameMaker versions 2020.8, 2022.6, and earlier. This vulnerability arises from improper handling of memory buffers on the heap, which can be exploited when a user opens a specially crafted malicious FrameMaker file. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user. The attack vector requires user interaction, specifically opening a malicious file, which means social engineering or phishing techniques could be used to deliver the payload. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity and no privileges required, but user interaction is necessary. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that organizations should prioritize monitoring and mitigation efforts. The vulnerability affects a specialized desktop publishing software widely used for technical documentation, which could be targeted to disrupt document workflows or gain footholds in organizations that rely on FrameMaker for critical content creation.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be significant, especially in sectors relying heavily on technical documentation such as aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, and engineering firms. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, potentially allowing attackers to steal sensitive intellectual property, disrupt document production processes, or pivot to other internal systems. Given that Adobe FrameMaker is often used in regulated industries and governmental agencies for producing compliance and regulatory documents, compromise could also result in regulatory breaches or data integrity issues. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or targeted social engineering campaigns could be effective attack vectors. Additionally, the high confidentiality and integrity impact could affect organizations’ trustworthiness and operational continuity. The lack of patches at the time of disclosure increases the risk window for European entities until mitigations or updates are applied.

European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Restrict usage of Adobe FrameMaker to trusted users and environments, ideally isolating it within virtual machines or sandboxed workstations to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 2) Educate users on the risks of opening unsolicited or unexpected FrameMaker files, emphasizing verification of file sources before opening. 3) Employ advanced email filtering and attachment scanning to detect and block malicious FrameMaker files. 4) Monitor network and endpoint behavior for anomalies indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unusual process spawning or memory usage linked to FrameMaker. 5) Maintain strict application whitelisting and privilege restrictions to limit the capabilities of any code executed via this vulnerability. 6) Engage with Adobe and subscribe to security advisories to promptly apply patches once available. 7) Consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of detecting heap overflow exploitation techniques. These targeted mitigations go beyond generic advice by focusing on user behavior, application isolation, and proactive detection tailored to the nature of this vulnerability.