CVE-2022-27870
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening malicious TGA image files in AutoCAD 2023. The buffer overflow occurs during TGA file parsing, potentially giving attackers full control of the affected system. Only AutoCAD 2023 users who open untrusted TGA files are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Autodesk AutoCAD
📦 What is this software?
Autocad by Autodesk
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control of the AutoCAD host, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or malware execution on the user's workstation when opening a malicious TGA file, potentially leading to credential theft or data exfiltration.
If Mitigated
No impact if users only open trusted TGA files from verified sources and AutoCAD is properly patched.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file) and knowledge of buffer overflow techniques. No public exploits known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: AutoCAD 2023 with security update applied
Vendor Advisory: https://www.autodesk.com/trust/security-advisories/adsk-sa-2022-0004
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open AutoCAD 2023. 2. Go to Help > About. 3. Check for updates. 4. Install available security updates. 5. Restart AutoCAD when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Block TGA file extensions
allPrevent AutoCAD from opening TGA files by blocking the file extension at the system or application level.
Windows: Use Group Policy to block .tga file associations
macOS: Use parental controls or file system permissions to restrict .tga files
User awareness training
allTrain users to only open TGA files from trusted sources and verify file integrity before opening.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution
- Restrict user permissions to limit potential damage from successful exploitation
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check AutoCAD version: Open AutoCAD, go to Help > About, verify version is 2023 without security updates applied.Check Version:
In AutoCAD: Help > About displays version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify AutoCAD has been updated to the latest version with security patches installed via Help > About.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual AutoCAD crashes when opening image files
- Suspicious process creation from AutoCAD.exe
SIEM Query:
Process creation where parent process is AutoCAD.exe AND (command line contains .tga OR image parsing libraries)