CVE-2021-40752: Adobe After Effects M4A File Parsing Memory Corruption Arbitrary Code Execution

Severity: critical (CVSS 9.3 v2.0)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 2.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2021-11-18 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-788

Description

Adobe After Effects version 18.4 (and earlier) is affected by a memory corruption vulnerability due to insecure handling of a malicious .m4a file, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. User interaction is required in that the victim must open a specially crafted file to exploit this vulnerability.

Affected products

Adobe After Effects: through 18.4.1

References

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/after_effects/apsb21-79.html
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/after_effects/apsb21-79.html

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