Adobe Animate is widely used for designing animations and interactive content. However, security researchers discovered a major vulnerability (CVE-2022-30664) in version 22..5 and earlier that could let attackers execute arbitrary code if the user opens a specially crafted file. In this post, I’ll break down what the bug means, show a simplified proof-of-concept snippet, and provide resources for further reading.

What is CVE-2022-30664?

CVE-2022-30664 is an _out-of-bounds write_ vulnerability in Adobe Animate version 22..5 and prior. Out-of-bounds write bugs happen when software writes data past the end (or before the start) of an allocated memory buffer. This can damage memory, crash programs, or even let attackers inject and execute their own code.  

For this CVE, an attacker would need to send a malicious .fla file to a victim. If the victim opens the file in a vulnerable version of Adobe Animate, the attacker’s code can run—with the same rights as that user. This makes social engineering (like phishing) a common delivery path for the exploit.

Technical Details & Exploit Path

Adobe Animate does a lot of parsing when reading in FLA (Flash Animation) files. If the structure is malformed, and Animate doesn’t check bounds carefully, it might write data to memory it’s not supposed to access. Often, attackers can craft a file that tricks Animate into overwriting critical data structures—like function pointers—leading to arbitrary code execution.

Here’s a generic breakdown of an out-of-bounds write in C-like pseudocode

// Intentionally simplified vulnerable code
void processInput(char *input, int len) {
    char buffer[100];
    for (int i = ; i < len; i++) {
        buffer[i] = input[i];  // No bounds check: may write past buffer[99]
    }
}

In a real FLA file, attackers may manipulate chunk lengths or embed weird structures so Animate writes past the actual end of an array. By linking that overwritten memory to their shellcode, attackers seize control.

Building a Malicious FLA (Simplified Example)

Below is a theoretical Python snippet demonstrating bad file construction (not a working exploit, for safety!):

# ! Demonstration Purposes Only !
# Creates an overlong chunk that may cause OOB write in a vulnerable parser

with open("malicious.fla", "wb") as f:
    # FLA header (fake for demonstration)
    f.write(b"FWS")            # Signature
    f.write(b"\x08")           # Version
    f.write(b"\x00\x00\x10\x00")  # File length (oversized)
    # Chunk header
    f.write(b"\x23\x00\x00\x00")  # Tag type, overlong length (35, x23)
    f.write(b"A" * x100)     # Oversized chunk to overflow buffer

Warning: Running exploits without permission is illegal and unethical!

Result: Attacker can run code as the victim (possibly install malware, steal data, etc).

This is serious because many creative professionals might not expect such files to be dangerous.

Mitigation & Patching

Adobe patched the vulnerability in Security Bulletin APSB22-25 (June 2022). If you’re still using Animate 22..5 or earlier, update immediately.

Affected Versions:
- Adobe Animate 22..5 and earlier (Windows, macOS)

Fixed In:
- Adobe Animate 22..6

Official References

- Adobe Security Bulletin APSB22-25
- NIST NVD Entry for CVE-2022-30664

Conclusion

CVE-2022-30664 is a critical vulnerability in Adobe Animate due to unsafe handling of file input. Attackers can weaponize this by sending you an innocent-looking animation file. Always keep your tools patched, avoid opening files from unknown sources, and remind your team about these kinds of risks.

If you’re a developer working on file parsers, remember to check those bounds every time!

Timeline

Published on: 06/16/2022 18:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 06/27/2022 18:39:00 UTC