📄 Description (English)
After Effects versions 25.6 and earlier are affected by an Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion') vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
Adobe After Effects versions 25.6 and earlier contain a type confusion vulnerability (CVE-2026-21330) that could allow arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious file. With a CVSS score of 7.8, this poses a significant risk to creative professionals and media organizations in Saudi Arabia. While no public exploit is currently available, a patch has been released and immediate patching is recommended.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 28, 2026 17:07
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability primarily affects Saudi media production companies, advertising agencies, government media departments, and educational institutions using After Effects. High-risk sectors include: (1) Saudi Media & Entertainment - production houses creating content for local and regional distribution; (2) Government Communications - MCIT and ministry media departments; (3) Education - universities with film/animation programs; (4) Advertising Agencies - major firms in Riyadh and Jeddah. The attack vector requires user interaction (opening malicious files), making it particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where files are shared via email or cloud storage.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Media & Entertainment
Government Communications
Education
Advertising & Marketing
Broadcasting
Film Production
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
6.8
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Identify all After Effects installations in your organization using asset management tools
2. Restrict file opening from untrusted sources until patching is complete
3. Disable After Effects auto-opening of recent files if possible
4. Educate users not to open .aep, .aet, or related project files from unknown sources
PATCHING GUIDANCE:
1. Update Adobe After Effects to version 25.7 or later immediately
2. Use Adobe Creative Cloud auto-update feature or manual download from adobe.com
3. Test patches in non-production environment first
4. Prioritize patching for users who frequently receive files from external sources
COMPENSATING CONTROLS (if immediate patching not possible):
1. Implement file sandboxing for After Effects using Windows Sandbox or similar
2. Use application whitelisting to restrict After Effects execution
3. Monitor file access patterns for suspicious .aep file modifications
4. Implement email gateway rules to block After Effects project files from external senders
DETECTION RULES:
1. Monitor for After Effects process spawning unexpected child processes (cmd.exe, powershell.exe)
2. Alert on After Effects accessing system directories or registry
3. Track unusual network connections initiated by After Effects
4. Monitor for .aep files with suspicious embedded content or macros
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. تحديد جميع تثبيتات After Effects في مؤسستك باستخدام أدوات إدارة الأصول
2. تقييد فتح الملفات من مصادر غير موثوقة حتى يتم إكمال التصحيح
3. تعطيل الفتح التلقائي للملفات الحديثة في After Effects إن أمكن
4. تثقيف المستخدمين بعدم فتح ملفات المشروع من مصادر غير معروفة
إرشادات التصحيح:
1. تحديث Adobe After Effects إلى الإصدار 25.7 أو أحدث فوراً
2. استخدام ميزة التحديث التلقائي لـ Adobe Creative Cloud أو التنزيل اليدوي من adobe.com
3. اختبار التصحيحات في بيئة غير إنتاجية أولاً
4. إعطاء الأولوية لتصحيح المستخدمين الذين يتلقون الملفات من مصادر خارجية بشكل متكرر
الضوابط البديلة (إذا لم يكن التصحيح الفوري ممكناً):
1. تنفيذ عزل الملفات لـ After Effects باستخدام Windows Sandbox أو ما شابه
2. استخدام القائمة البيضاء للتطبيقات لتقييد تنفيذ After Effects
3. مراقبة أنماط الوصول إلى الملفات للتعديلات المريبة على ملفات .aep
4. تنفيذ قواعد بوابة البريد الإلكتروني لحظر ملفات مشاريع After Effects من المرسلين الخارجيين
قواعد الكشف:
1. مراقبة عملية After Effects التي تولد عمليات فرعية غير متوقعة
2. التنبيه على After Effects الوصول إلى دلائل النظام أو السجل
3. تتبع الاتصالات الشبكية غير العادية التي يبدأها After Effects
4. مراقبة ملفات .aep التي تحتوي على محتوى مريب أو وحدات ماكرو
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC 2024 A.5.1.1 - Information Security Policies (patch management)
ECC 2024 A.5.2.1 - User Access Management (file access controls)
ECC 2024 A.5.3.1 - Cryptography (secure file handling)
ECC 2024 A.5.4.1 - Physical and Environmental Security (endpoint protection)
🔵 SAMA CSF
SAMA CSF ID.GV-1 - Organizational context and governance
SAMA CSF PR.IP-3 - Configuration management and patch management
SAMA CSF PR.PT-1 - Protective technology deployment
SAMA CSF DE.CM-1 - Detection and analysis capabilities
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
ISO 27001:2022 A.5.1.1 - Policies for information security
ISO 27001:2022 A.5.2.1 - Information security roles and responsibilities
ISO 27001:2022 A.5.3.1 - Segregation of duties
ISO 27001:2022 A.8.1.1 - Screening and background checks
ISO 27001:2022 A.8.2.1 - User awareness and training
📦 Affected Products / CPE 1 entries
adobe:after_effects