CVE-2021-27038
📋 TL;DR
A Type Confusion vulnerability in Autodesk Design Review allows arbitrary code execution when processing malicious PDF files. This affects users of Autodesk Design Review 2018, 2017, 2013, 2012, and 2011 versions. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into opening specially crafted PDF documents.
💻 Affected Systems
- Autodesk Design Review
📦 What is this software?
Design Review by Autodesk
Design Review by Autodesk
Design Review by Autodesk
Design Review by Autodesk
Design Review by Autodesk
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control of the affected system, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or remote code execution when user opens malicious PDF, leading to malware installation or credential theft.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper application whitelisting, PDF file restrictions, and user awareness training are implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious PDF). No public exploit code has been disclosed as of knowledge cutoff.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Update to latest version or apply security update per vendor advisory
Vendor Advisory: https://www.autodesk.com/trust/security-advisories/adsk-sa-2022-0004
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the security update from Autodesk's security advisory page. 2. Close Autodesk Design Review. 3. Run the installer. 4. Restart the system if prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable PDF file association
windowsPrevent Autodesk Design Review from automatically opening PDF files
Control Panel > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a program > Change .pdf association to another application
Application control policy
windowsRestrict execution of Autodesk Design Review using Windows AppLocker or similar
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Uninstall Autodesk Design Review if not required for business operations
- Implement network segmentation to isolate systems running vulnerable software
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check installed version of Autodesk Design Review via Control Panel > Programs and FeaturesCheck Version:
wmic product where name="Autodesk Design Review" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version number matches patched version in vendor advisory and test with known safe PDF files📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes of Autodesk Design Review
- Unusual process creation from Design Review executable
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Design Review to unknown IPs
- DNS requests for suspicious domains
SIEM Query:
Process Creation where Image contains "DesignReview.exe" AND ParentImage contains "explorer.exe"