CVE-2022-30650
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2022-30650 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Adobe InCopy that allows arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious file. This affects users running Adobe InCopy versions 17.2 and earlier or 16.4.1 and earlier. Successful exploitation requires user interaction to open a crafted file.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe InCopy
📦 What is this software?
Incopy by Adobe
Incopy by Adobe
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control of the victim's computer in the context of the current user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement.
Likely Case
Malicious actors send phishing emails with crafted InCopy documents, leading to malware installation or credential theft when users open the files.
If Mitigated
Users who avoid opening untrusted InCopy files and have updated software experience no impact.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious file. No public exploit code was available at disclosure time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 17.3 and 16.4.2
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/incopy/apsb22-29.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe InCopy. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install version 17.3 or 16.4.2. 4. Restart the application.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable InCopy file associations
allPrevent InCopy from automatically opening .incx files by changing default file associations
Windows: Control Panel > Default Programs > Associate a file type > Change .incx to open with Notepad
macOS: Right-click .incx file > Get Info > Open With > Change to TextEdit
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to block execution of InCopy if not updated
- Use email filtering to block .incx attachments and educate users about phishing risks
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check InCopy version via Help > About InCopy. If version is 17.2 or earlier, or 16.4.1 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Windows: wmic product where name='Adobe InCopy' get version
macOS: /Applications/Adobe\ InCopy\ */Adobe\ InCopy.app/Contents/Info.plist | grep -A1 CFBundleShortVersionStringVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 17.3 or higher, or 16.4.2 or higher after update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes of InCopy with heap corruption errors
- Unexpected child processes spawned from InCopy
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of .incx files from untrusted sources
- Outbound connections from InCopy to suspicious IPs
SIEM Query:
process_name='InCopy.exe' AND (event_id=1000 OR child_process NOT IN ('explorer.exe','svchost.exe'))