# CVE-2021-43753: Adobe Lightroom TIF File Parsing Use-After-Free Information Disclosure Vulnerability

> A use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Lightroom allows privilege escalation via malicious TIF files, requiring user interaction to open the file.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/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:** 7 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 27 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8cm5-g2j6-fh65

## What is CVE-2021-43753?

CVE-2021-43753 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Adobe Lightroom Desktop, published on 7 Sep 2023. 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 Lightroom versions 4.4 (and earlier) are affected by a use-after-free vulnerability in the processing of parsing TIF files that could result in privilege escalation. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-43753?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Adobe Lightroom.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-43753?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-43753 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-43753 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-43753 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Adobe Lightroom Desktop

- [CVE-2026-48397](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48397/): Lightroom Classic | Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2026-48441](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48441/): Lightroom Classic | Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (CWE-22) (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2026-47940](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-47940/): Lightroom Classic | Integer Overflow or Wraparound (CWE-190) (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2026-48404](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48404/): Lightroom Classic | Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787) (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2026-48405](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48405/): Lightroom Classic | Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787) (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-43753 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-43753 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Adobe Lightroom Desktop, published on 7 Sep 2023. 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-2021-43753 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Adobe Lightroom Desktop. 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-2021-43753/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43753/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-43753
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-43753
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-43753

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43753/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.