VulnerabilityPublished 10 Mar 2026Updated 27 Aug 2026

CVE-2026-27268: Adobe Illustrator Desktop 2026 · Out-of-bounds Read

Affects Adobe Illustrator Desktop 2026Source CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.

Data as of 29 Oct 2026, 19:04 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 4% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 10 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
AdobeIllustrator Desktop 2026	Affected <=30.1	Fixed in–
AdobeIllustrator Desktop 2025	Affected <=29.8.4	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Monitor Adobe security advisories closely and apply official patches immediately once released to remediate the vulnerability.
Implement strict file handling policies, including blocking or quarantining Illustrator files from untrusted or unknown sources.
Educate users about the risks of opening unsolicited or suspicious files, emphasizing caution with email attachments and downloads.
Use endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior related to file parsing or memory access in Illustrator.
Employ network-level controls to restrict the receipt of potentially malicious files, such as email filtering and sandboxing suspicious attachments.
Maintain regular backups of critical data to mitigate risks from potential follow-on attacks.
Consider running Illustrator in a sandboxed or isolated environment to limit the impact of any exploitation.
Conduct periodic security awareness training focused on social engineering tactics that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability.

Description

Illustrator versions 29.8.4, 30.1 and earlier are affected by an Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability that could lead to memory exposure. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to access sensitive information stored in memory. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-27268 is the potential exposure of sensitive information stored in memory during the processing of malicious Illustrator files. For organizations, this could lead to leakage of intellectual property, confidential client data, or other sensitive information embedded in memory. Although the vulnerability does not allow code execution or system compromise, the confidentiality breach could facilitate further targeted attacks or data theft. The requirement for user interaction limits the scope somewhat, but social engineering or phishing campaigns could be used to trick users into opening malicious files. Industries such as advertising, media, design agencies, and any enterprise heavily reliant on Adobe Illustrator are at risk. The medium severity rating suggests a moderate risk level, but the widespread use of Illustrator globally increases the potential attack surface. Without patches, organizations remain exposed to potential exploitation, especially if attackers develop reliable exploit code in the future.

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessCWE Top 25 (2025): #8
The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
Implementation · Input Validation
Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
Architecture and Design · Language Selection
Use a language that provides appropriate memory abstractions.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V13.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Overread Buffers (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb26-18.html (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 10 Mar 2026, 23:30 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-125

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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