Photoshop Desktop | Uncontrolled Search Path Element (CWE-427)
Photoshop Desktop is affected by an Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file. Scope is changed.
- Published
- Sep 8, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 11, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.3% · 20th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-427
Sign in to follow · You’ll be notified if a followed record enters KEV, gets an exploit or is updated.
Report tools
Action score
34
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 34 / 40 · 8.6 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.3%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · adobe
- 8.6
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| adobe | photoshop | cpe:2.3:a:adobe:photoshop |
| apple | macos | cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos |
| microsoft | windows | cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- adobe photoshop26.0 and later · before 26.11.7
- adobe photoshop27.0 and later · before 27.7
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (adobe). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Adobe Photoshop 2025
- 26.11.7not affected
- up to and including 26.11.6affected · semver
Adobe Photoshop 2026
- 27.7not affected
- up to and including 27.6affected · semver
Same product
adobe: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2008-1765Buffer overflow in Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition 3.2, and possibly After Effects CS3, allows user-assisted remote attackers and phys43Plan
- CVE-2017-11304An issue was discovered in Adobe Photoshop 18.1.1 (2017.1.1) and earlier versions.41Plan
- CVE-2017-11303An issue was discovered in Adobe Photoshop 18.1.1 (2017.1.1) and earlier versions.41Plan
- CVE-2012-2027Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Photoshop CS5 12.x before 12.0.5 and CS5.1 12.1.x before 12.1.1 allows remote attackers to execute arb41Plan
- CVE-2011-2164Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Adobe Photoshop before 12.0.4 have unknown impact and attack vectors.41Plan
- CVE-2010-3127Untrusted search path vulnerability in Adobe PhotoShop CS2 through CS5 allows local users, and possibly remote attackers, to execute arbitra41Plan
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-427 · Uncontrolled Search Path ElementCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
- Hijack Execution Flow:DLL search order hijackingT1574.001
- Hijack Execution Flow: Dylib HijackingT1574.004
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by PATH Environment VariableT1574.007
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Search Order HijackingT1574.008
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Unquoted PathT1574.009
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.