CVE-2026-48274: 
Adobe After Effects vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2026-48274 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability (CWE-787) in Adobe After Effects that could allow arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. It affects Adobe After Effects versions 25.6.5 and earlier, and versions 26.0 through 26.2.1, on both Windows and macOS. The vulnerability was disclosed and patched on July 14, 2026, as part of Adobe's security update APSB26-78. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (High) (Adobe Advisory, GitHub Advisory).

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), meaning the application writes data beyond the boundaries of an allocated buffer during file parsing or processing. Exploitation requires a local attack vector with low complexity and no privileges, but does require user interaction — specifically, a victim must open a specially crafted malicious file. No public technical write-ups or proof-of-concept code have been identified at this time (Adobe Advisory, GitHub Advisory).

Successful exploitation allows an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running Adobe After Effects, resulting in high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. An attacker could read sensitive files, modify data, or crash the application on the affected system. The scope is limited to the current user's context, with no automatic privilege escalation beyond that user's permissions (Adobe Advisory, GitHub Advisory).

There is no evidence of active in-the-wild exploitation or a publicly available proof-of-concept exploit as of the time of disclosure. The NVD SSVC assessment confirms exploitation status as "none" and the attack is not automatable due to the required user interaction. The EPSS score is approximately 0.148% (4th percentile), indicating a low near-term exploitation probability. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog (Adobe Advisory, GitHub Advisory).

1. Craft a malicious file: An attacker creates a specially crafted After Effects project file (e.g., .aep) or supported media file designed to trigger an out-of-bounds write during parsing.
2. Deliver the file: The attacker distributes the malicious file via phishing email, malicious download link, or social engineering, targeting users of Adobe After Effects.
3. Victim opens the file: The victim opens the malicious file in a vulnerable version of Adobe After Effects (≤25.6.5 or 26.0–26.2.1).
4. Trigger out-of-bounds write: The application processes the malformed file, causing a write operation to exceed buffer boundaries, corrupting adjacent memory.
5. Achieve code execution: The memory corruption is leveraged to redirect execution flow, resulting in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user (Adobe Advisory).

Adobe has released patched versions to address this vulnerability: After Effects 25.6.6 (for the 25.x branch) and After Effects 26.3 (for the 26.x branch) on both Windows and macOS. Users should update immediately via the Creative Cloud desktop application. As a general precaution, users should avoid opening After Effects project files or media files received from untrusted or unknown sources, and organizations should consider implementing file validation and sandboxing controls where feasible (Adobe Advisory).

The CIS (Center for Internet Security) issued an advisory noting that multiple vulnerabilities in Adobe products, including this one, could allow for arbitrary code execution (CIS Advisory). CISA included the vulnerability in its weekly bulletin (SB26-201). No significant independent researcher commentary or social media discussion has been identified beyond standard vulnerability tracking and aggregation coverage.