CVE-2025-54256 is a high-severity Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting Adobe Dreamweaver Desktop versions 21.5 and earlier. This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code within the context of the current user by tricking the user into clicking a malicious link. The CSRF attack exploits the application's failure to properly verify the authenticity of requests, enabling unauthorized commands to be executed without the user's explicit consent. The vulnerability changes the scope, meaning that the attacker can potentially escalate privileges or perform actions beyond the initial request context. Exploitation requires user interaction, specifically the victim clicking on a crafted malicious link, which then triggers the unauthorized actions. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.6, indicating a high level of severity, with the vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. This reflects that the attack vector is local (AV:L), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), user interaction required (UI:R), scope changed (S:C), 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 have been linked yet. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which corresponds to CSRF issues, a common web security weakness where unauthorized commands are transmitted from a user that the web application trusts. Given the nature of Dreamweaver as a web development tool, arbitrary code execution could lead to compromise of development environments, leakage of sensitive project files, or insertion of malicious code into web projects, potentially affecting downstream web applications and websites.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses significant risks, especially for companies involved in web development, digital agencies, and enterprises that use Adobe Dreamweaver Desktop as part of their software development lifecycle. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution on developers' machines, resulting in theft or manipulation of source code, insertion of backdoors or malware into web projects, and potential compromise of client websites once deployed. This could lead to data breaches, reputational damage, and regulatory non-compliance under GDPR if personal data is exposed or manipulated. The requirement for user interaction (clicking a malicious link) means phishing or social engineering campaigns could be leveraged to exploit this vulnerability. The changed scope and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability indicate that the attacker could gain extensive control over the affected system, potentially disrupting development operations or enabling lateral movement within corporate networks. Given the widespread use of Adobe products in Europe and the critical role of web development in many sectors, the threat could have broad implications if not mitigated promptly.

1. Immediate mitigation should include educating users and developers about the risks of clicking on unsolicited or suspicious links, especially those received via email or messaging platforms. 2. Implement network-level protections such as web filtering and email security gateways to block known malicious URLs and phishing attempts targeting Dreamweaver users. 3. Apply strict Content Security Policies (CSP) and enable anti-CSRF tokens or mechanisms if available within the Dreamweaver environment or associated web services to prevent unauthorized request forgery. 4. Monitor and restrict the use of Dreamweaver Desktop to trusted networks and devices with endpoint protection and application control policies to limit exposure. 5. Regularly check for and apply official Adobe patches or updates as soon as they become available, as no patch links are currently provided. 6. Conduct internal audits of development environments to detect any unauthorized code changes or suspicious activity that could indicate exploitation. 7. Encourage the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) for related Adobe accounts and development tools to reduce the risk of account compromise that could facilitate exploitation. 8. Isolate development environments from critical production systems to minimize potential lateral movement in case of compromise.