Security audit

adobe-illustrator-integrations

Security checks for vulnerabilities and agentic risk

Overview

The skill provides proportionate Illustrator development guidance with disclosed, reversible development settings.

Use document copies and keep development mode limited to trusted local testing; remove PlayerDebugMode afterward and distribute signed extensions. The scanner's material coverage gap was independently reviewed. This assessment covers the bundled guidance; extensions, native plug-ins, and MCP servers downloaded or built later require separate review.

A.I.G

Vulnerability Patterns

Skill Instruction HijackingAlters the agent's session goals or safety constraints when the skill loads
Agent Memory PoisoningWrites attacker-controlled rules into memory that affect later sessions
Remote Payload Retrieval and ExecutionFetches external code whose behavior can change after review
Embedded Malicious CodeShips malicious scripts inside the skill and executes them locally
Unauthorized Access and Privilege EscalationObtains permissions beyond the task's legitimate needs

SkillSpector

Vulnerability Patterns

Output HandlingUnvalidated Output Injection, Cross-Context Output, Unbounded Output
Rogue AgentSelf-Modification, Session Persistence
Prompt InjectionInstruction Override, Hidden Instructions, Exfiltration Commands
Data ExfiltrationExternal Transmission, Env Variable Harvesting, File System Enumeration
Privilege EscalationExcessive Permissions, Sudo/Root Execution, Credential Access

Findings (5)

Incomplete referenced artifact analysis

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 58)May include surrounding context.
md
- CEP panel: [references/cep-extensions.md](references/cep-extensions.md) (folder layout, manifest, `CSInterface`, debug mode, signing, install)

Incomplete referenced artifact analysis

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 99)May include surrounding context.
md
- [references/cep-extensions.md](references/cep-extensions.md): CEP panels from folder layout to signed ZXP

Session Persistence

Medium

Category: Rogue Agent
Confidence: 80% confidence
Finding: Skill establishes unauthorized persistence across sessions via cron jobs, startup scripts, or state files. Session persistence allows an attacker to maintain access beyond the current interaction.
Content: Scanner excerpt · references/cep-extensions.md (reported line 172)May include surrounding context.
Windows (per user, string value):

bat
reg add "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.12" /v PlayerDebugMode /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f

macOS:

Session Persistence

Medium

Category: Rogue Agent
Confidence: 75% confidence
Finding: Skill establishes unauthorized persistence across sessions via cron jobs, startup scripts, or state files. Session persistence allows an attacker to maintain access beyond the current interaction.
Content: Scanner excerpt · references/cep-extensions.md (reported line 178)May include surrounding context.
macOS:

bash
defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.12 PlayerDebugMode 1

Restart Illustrator afterwards (on macOS, log out and back in if the setting does not take). Set it on development machines only, and remove it with reg delete "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.12" /v PlayerDebugMode /f or defaults delete com.adobe.CSXS.12 PlayerDebugMode.

The installation instructions enable PlayerDebugMode without explaining that it permits unsigned CEP extensions to load.

Medium

Category: Output Handling
Confidence: 90% confidence
Finding: Enabling PlayerDebugMode relaxes CEP extension signature enforcement, affecting the integrity of extensions Illustrator can load. Although the step is restricted to development machines, it does not disclose this security consequence or tell users to restore signature enforcement afterward.
Content: No source excerpt is available for this finding.