CVE-2021-27030
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2021-27030 is a directory traversal vulnerability in Autodesk FBX Review that allows remote code execution when a user opens a malicious FBX file. Attackers can exploit this to execute arbitrary code on the victim's system with the privileges of the user running FBX Review. This affects users who open untrusted FBX files with vulnerable versions of the software.
💻 Affected Systems
- Autodesk FBX Review
📦 What is this software?
Fbx Review by Autodesk
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the user running FBX Review, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Malware installation or data exfiltration from the compromised system, often as part of targeted attacks against design/engineering organizations.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if user runs with minimal privileges, has application sandboxing, or blocks FBX file execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious FBX file. Proof-of-concept code has been published by security researchers.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2020.2 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.autodesk.com/trust/security-advisories/adsk-sa-2021-0001
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download FBX Review 2020.2 or later from Autodesk's official website. 2. Uninstall the previous version. 3. Install the updated version. 4. Restart the system if prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Block FBX file execution
allPrevent FBX files from automatically opening in FBX Review by changing file associations or using application control policies.
User awareness training
allTrain users not to open FBX files from untrusted sources and to verify file integrity before opening.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Run FBX Review with minimal user privileges (non-admin account)
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized code
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the FBX Review version in the application's About dialog or Help menu. If version is earlier than 2020.2, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Windows: Check Add/Remove Programs or run 'wmic product where name="FBX Review" get version'. On macOS/Linux: Check application info or package manager.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify the installed version is 2020.2 or later and test opening known safe FBX files to ensure functionality.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected process creation from FBX Review
- File system access to unusual directories by FBX Review process
- Network connections initiated by FBX Review
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from systems running FBX Review to suspicious IPs
- DNS requests for known malicious domains from affected systems
SIEM Query:
process_name:"FBX Review" AND (process_command_line:*".fbx" OR file_path:*".fbx")🔗 References
- https://www.autodesk.com/trust/security-advisories/adsk-sa-2021-0001
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-1070/
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-466/
- https://www.autodesk.com/trust/security-advisories/adsk-sa-2021-0001
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-1070/
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-466/
