CVE-2022-27868
📋 TL;DR
A use-after-free vulnerability in Autodesk AutoCAD 2023 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening malicious CAT files. This affects AutoCAD 2023 users who open untrusted CAT files. Successful exploitation could give attackers control over the victim's system.
💻 Affected Systems
- Autodesk AutoCAD
📦 What is this software?
Autocad by Autodesk
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the AutoCAD user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement.
Likely Case
Local code execution with user privileges, allowing file system access, credential harvesting, and installation of persistence mechanisms.
If Mitigated
No impact if users don't open untrusted CAT files and the system is properly patched.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction to open malicious CAT file. No public exploit code available as of knowledge cutoff.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: March 2022 update for AutoCAD 2023
Vendor Advisory: https://www.autodesk.com/trust/security-advisories/adsk-sa-2022-0005
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open AutoCAD 2023. 2. Go to Autodesk Desktop App or AutoCAD's update mechanism. 3. Install the March 2022 security update. 4. Restart AutoCAD and any related services.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Block CAT file extensions
windowsPrevent AutoCAD from opening CAT files via group policy or application restrictions
Using Group Policy: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Attachment Manager > 'Do not preserve zone information in file attachments' set to Enabled
User awareness training
allTrain users not to open CAT files from untrusted sources
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized CAT file execution
- Use email filtering to block CAT attachments and network monitoring for CAT file transfers
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check AutoCAD version: If running AutoCAD 2023 without March 2022 update, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
In AutoCAD: Type 'ABOUT' command or check Help > About AutoCADVerify Fix Applied:
Verify AutoCAD version shows March 2022 update installed and attempt to open a test CAT file (in safe environment) to confirm proper handling.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Windows Event Logs: Application crashes from AutoCAD.exe
- AutoCAD log files showing CAT file processing errors
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from AutoCAD process
- CAT file downloads from untrusted sources
SIEM Query:
source="*autocad*" AND (event_id=1000 OR "cat" OR "use-after-free")