Executive Summary

Adobe has released its scheduled security updates for October 2025, addressing over 35 vulnerabilities in twelve of its products. The headline fix is for a critical vulnerability in Adobe Connect (CVE-2025-49553), a cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw with a CVSS score of 9.3 that could be exploited for arbitrary code execution. The updates also cover high-severity vulnerabilities in popular e-commerce platforms Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source, as well as several Substance 3D and Creative Cloud applications. While Adobe has rated most of the vulnerabilities as low priority for exploitation, the critical nature of the Connect flaw and the elevated risk for Commerce and Magento users warrant prompt attention from administrators.

Vulnerability Details

The October release includes twelve separate security advisories. The key vulnerabilities are:

Critical Vulnerability

• CVE-2025-49553 - Adobe Connect Arbitrary Code Execution: This critical (CVSS 9.3) vulnerability is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) issue. An attacker could exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code in the context of the victim's browser. Successful exploitation requires an attacker to trick a user into visiting a malicious URL or page within a compromised Connect session. The fix is included in Adobe Connect version 12.10.

High-Severity Vulnerabilities

• Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source: Patches address multiple vulnerabilities, including an XSS flaw that could lead to privilege escalation. Due to the high value of these e-commerce platforms as targets, Adobe has assigned this update a priority rating of '2', recommending administrators patch within 30 days.
• Substance 3D Products and Creative Cloud: Updates for Substance 3D Stager, Dimension, Illustrator, and FrameMaker fix several high-severity memory corruption vulnerabilities that could all lead to arbitrary code execution (typically rated CVSS 7.8). These are generally triggered when a user opens a specially crafted file.

Affected Systems

The updates cover a wide range of Adobe's portfolio:

• Adobe Connect (versions prior to 12.10)
• Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source
• Substance 3D Stager, Modeler, and Viewer
• Adobe Dimension
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe FrameMaker
• Adobe Animate
• Adobe Bridge
• Creative Cloud Desktop Application
• Experience Manager Screens

Impact Assessment

The most significant threat comes from CVE-2025-49553 in Adobe Connect. As a web-based collaboration platform, a stored XSS vulnerability is particularly dangerous. An attacker could potentially inject a malicious script into a meeting room or content library. Anyone who subsequently views that content would execute the script, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further malware delivery. In a corporate environment where Connect is used for sensitive meetings, this could lead to a significant data breach.

The vulnerabilities in Adobe Commerce and Magento are also high-risk. Exploitation could allow an attacker to escalate privileges, potentially gaining administrative control over an e-commerce site to steal customer data, payment information, or manipulate orders.

Detection Methods

1. Version Scanning: Use vulnerability management tools or asset inventory systems to identify all instances of vulnerable Adobe products in your environment, particularly Adobe Connect servers and workstations with the client installed.
2. Web Application Firewall (WAF): For Adobe Connect and Commerce/Magento, a properly configured WAF may be able to detect and block XSS payloads and other web-based attack attempts. Monitor WAF logs for alerts related to these applications.
3. Log Analysis: Review Adobe Connect application logs for suspicious entries, such as unusual HTML or script content being uploaded or stored. For Commerce/Magento, monitor for unexpected administrative actions or changes to core files.

Remediation Steps

1. Apply Updates: The primary remediation is to install the latest versions of the affected Adobe products as detailed in the respective security bulletins. For CVE-2025-49553, update to Adobe Connect 12.10. This aligns with D3FEND's D3-SU: Software Update.
2. Prioritize Patching: Follow Adobe's priority ratings. Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source (Priority 2) should be patched as soon as possible, ideally within 30 days. The critical Connect flaw, while rated Priority 3 by Adobe, should be treated as high priority due to its CVSS score and potential impact.
3. Input Sanitization: As a general web application security best practice, ensure that any custom code or extensions used with Adobe Commerce/Magento are properly sanitizing user input to prevent XSS and other injection attacks. This is a key principle of D3FEND's D3-ACH: Application Configuration Hardening.