# CVE-2026-21288: Adobe Illustrator null pointer dereference leading to denial of service

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-21288-adobe-illustrator-null-pointer-dereference-leading-to-denial-of  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-01-13. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-21288 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.5 · Published 2026-01-13

Adobe Illustrator, a widely used graphic design and illustration application, contains a null pointer dereference flaw that can be triggered when a user opens a specially crafted file. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to crash the application, disrupting the victim's work and productivity.

Technologies: [Adobe Illustrator](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/illustrator). Vendors: [Adobe](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/adobe).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-21288 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-21288 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-21288?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.5, published 13 January 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Adobe Illustrator 29.8.3, 30.0 and earlier.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-21288?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-21288 attacked?** It is attacked with local access.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-21288?** Check whether you run Adobe Illustrator at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is a null pointer dereference in Adobe Illustrator versions 29.8.3, 30.0 and earlier. An attacker can craft a malicious file that, when opened by a victim in Illustrator, causes the application to crash due to improper pointer handling. The attack requires user interaction (opening a malicious file) but no special privileges. The impact is denial of service—the application becomes unavailable, though no data corruption or code execution occurs. Patches are expected from Adobe.

## Affected products

- Adobe Illustrator 29.8.3, 30.0 and earlier

## Timeline

- 2026-01-13: disclosed

## References

- [https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb26-03.html](https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb26-03.html)

## Related threats

- [Adobe Illustrator out-of-bounds write vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-75992-adobe-illustrator-out-of-bounds-write-vulnerability)
- [Adobe Illustrator improper input validation in file parsing](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-75991-adobe-illustrator-improper-input-validation-in-file-parsing)
- [Adobe Illustrator incorrect authorization arbitrary code execution](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-75990-adobe-illustrator-incorrect-authorization-arbitrary-code)
- [Adobe Illustrator out-of-bounds read in file parsing](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-71441-adobe-illustrator-out-of-bounds-read-in-file-parsing)
- [Adobe Illustrator out-of-bounds write in file processing](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-48337-adobe-illustrator-out-of-bounds-write-in-file-processing)