Dreamweaver Desktop versions 21.6 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could lead to arbitrary file system write. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to manipulate or inject malicious data into files on the system. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file and scope is changed.
Adobe Dreamweaver Desktop versions 21.6 and earlier are vulnerable to an Improper Input Validation flaw, enabling attackers to write arbitrary files to the file system. Successful exploitation requires user interaction, potentially allowing for remote code execution and complete system compromise. This vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations using Dreamweaver for web development.
Step 1: Payload Creation: The attacker crafts a malicious file, likely a Dreamweaver project file or a file type Dreamweaver processes. This file contains specially crafted data designed to exploit the input validation vulnerability.
Step 2: Social Engineering: The attacker delivers the malicious file to a target user, often through phishing, email attachments, or social engineering techniques, enticing the user to open it.
Step 3: File Opening: The victim, unaware of the malicious nature of the file, opens it in Dreamweaver.
Step 4: Vulnerability Trigger: Dreamweaver processes the malicious file. Due to the Improper Input Validation, the attacker-controlled data is interpreted as instructions.
Step 5: Arbitrary File Write: The crafted data instructs Dreamweaver to write arbitrary files to the file system. This could involve overwriting existing files, creating new files in sensitive locations (e.g., startup directories), or injecting malicious code.
Step 6: System Compromise (Potential): Depending on the nature of the written files, the attacker can achieve further actions, such as remote code execution (if a malicious script is written and executed), data exfiltration, or complete system compromise.
The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input when Dreamweaver processes certain file types. Specifically, the software fails to properly sanitize or validate data within a specific file format (likely related to project files, templates, or other design assets). This allows an attacker to craft a malicious file containing specially crafted data. When Dreamweaver opens this file, the flawed input validation allows the malicious data to be interpreted as instructions, leading to the creation or modification of arbitrary files on the system. The root cause is likely a missing or inadequate check on the size, format, or content of the input data, leading to a path traversal or arbitrary file write condition. This could be triggered by a missing check on file extensions, size limitations, or a failure to properly sanitize user-controlled variables used in file operations.