CVE-2025-49529 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Adobe Illustrator versions 28.7.6, 29.5.1, and earlier. The vulnerability is classified as an Access of Uninitialized Pointer (CWE-824), which occurs when the software accesses memory pointers that have not been properly initialized. This can lead to unpredictable behavior, including the potential for arbitrary code execution within the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction, specifically that the victim opens a maliciously crafted Illustrator file. Once triggered, the vulnerability can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system by allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to data theft, system manipulation, or further malware deployment. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high severity level, with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), user interaction required (UI:R), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or updates have been linked yet. The vulnerability underscores the risk posed by opening untrusted files in Illustrator, especially in environments where users have access to sensitive data or critical systems.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be significant, particularly for industries relying heavily on Adobe Illustrator for design and creative workflows, such as advertising, media, publishing, and manufacturing sectors. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive intellectual property, disruption of design processes, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks if the compromised user account has elevated privileges. Given the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, organizations could face data breaches, loss of proprietary designs, and operational downtime. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to deliver malicious files, increasing the risk in environments with less stringent email and file handling policies. Additionally, the lack of a patch at the time of this report means organizations must rely on interim mitigations to reduce exposure.

1. Implement strict email and file handling policies to prevent opening unsolicited or unexpected Illustrator files, especially from unknown or untrusted sources. 2. Educate users on the risks of opening files from unverified origins and train them to recognize phishing attempts that could deliver malicious Illustrator files. 3. Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to restrict Illustrator’s ability to execute arbitrary code or access sensitive system resources. 4. Monitor and restrict user privileges to minimize the impact of potential exploitation, ensuring users operate with least privilege necessary. 5. Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify suspicious behaviors related to Illustrator processes. 6. Regularly back up critical design files and system states to enable recovery in case of compromise. 7. Stay alert for official patches or updates from Adobe and apply them promptly once available. 8. Consider network segmentation to isolate systems running Illustrator from sensitive parts of the corporate network to limit lateral movement.