CVE-2025-61814 is a Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability identified in Adobe InDesign Desktop versions 20.5, 19.5.5, and earlier. This vulnerability arises when the application improperly manages memory, specifically freeing memory that is still in use, which can be exploited by an attacker to execute arbitrary code within the context of the current user. The attack vector requires the victim to open a specially crafted malicious InDesign file, meaning user interaction is necessary for exploitation. The vulnerability does not require any prior authentication, increasing its risk profile. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting a high severity due to the combination of local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), required user interaction (UI:R), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). Exploitation could lead to full compromise of the affected system under the current user’s privileges, enabling data theft, system manipulation, or denial of service. As of now, no patches or updates have been released by Adobe, and no known exploits have been observed in the wild. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for organizations relying on Adobe InDesign for desktop publishing and creative workflows, as attackers could leverage this flaw to gain footholds or move laterally within networks.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-61814 is significant, especially for those in media, publishing, advertising, and design sectors where Adobe InDesign is widely used. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution, allowing attackers to steal sensitive intellectual property, manipulate or destroy content, and potentially escalate privileges if combined with other vulnerabilities. This could disrupt business operations, damage brand reputation, and cause financial losses. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to deliver malicious files, increasing the risk in environments with high file exchange volumes. Additionally, compromised endpoints could serve as entry points for broader network intrusions. The lack of a patch increases exposure time, necessitating immediate defensive measures. Organizations handling sensitive or regulated data must be particularly vigilant to avoid breaches that could trigger regulatory penalties under GDPR and other European data protection laws.

Until Adobe releases an official patch, European organizations should implement several targeted mitigations: 1) Enforce strict email and file attachment filtering to block or quarantine suspicious InDesign files from untrusted sources. 2) Educate users about the risks of opening unsolicited or unexpected InDesign files and promote cautious handling of email attachments. 3) Utilize application whitelisting and sandboxing technologies to restrict execution of unauthorized code and isolate InDesign processes. 4) Monitor endpoint behavior for anomalies indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unusual memory access patterns or process spawning. 5) Maintain up-to-date backups of critical design files to enable recovery in case of compromise. 6) Limit user privileges on workstations to reduce the impact of code execution under user context. 7) Prepare incident response plans specific to this vulnerability to enable rapid containment and remediation once exploitation is detected or patches become available. 8) Track Adobe communications for patch releases and apply updates promptly.