# CVE-2018-15974: Privilege escalation in Adobe Framemaker

> An insecure library loading vulnerability in Adobe FrameMaker allows attackers to achieve privilege escalation via DLL hijacking.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Oct 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gjqm-xj5v-7cvf

## What is CVE-2018-15974?

CVE-2018-15974 is a high-severity vulnerability in Adobe Framemaker, published on 17 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Adobe Framemaker versions 1.0.5.1 and below have an insecure library loading (dll hijacking) vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to privilege escalation.

Weakness: CWE-426 (Untrusted Search Path)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-15974?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Adobe Framemaker.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-15974?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-15974 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-15974 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-15974 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Adobe Framemaker

- [CVE-2020-3740](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3740/): Memory corruption in Adobe Framemaker (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-9634](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-9634/): Memory corruption in Adobe Framemaker (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-9635](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-9635/): Memory corruption in Adobe Framemaker (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-9636](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-9636/): Memory corruption in Adobe Framemaker (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-3720](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3720/): Memory corruption in Adobe Framemaker (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-15974 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-15974 is a high-severity vulnerability in Adobe Framemaker, published on 17 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-15974 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Adobe Framemaker. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-15974/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-15974/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-15974
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-15974
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-15974

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-15974/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.