CVE-2022-30663
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Adobe InDesign that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a victim's system when a malicious file is opened. It affects users of Adobe InDesign versions 17.2.1 and earlier, and 16.4.1 and earlier. Exploitation requires user interaction, such as opening a crafted document.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe InDesign
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or malware installation if a user opens a malicious InDesign file, resulting in system compromise.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if users avoid opening untrusted files, with potential file corruption or application crash but no code execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious file, making it less trivial but feasible with social engineering.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Update to Adobe InDesign version 17.3 or later for the 17.x branch, and 16.4.2 or later for the 16.x branch.
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/indesign/apsb22-30.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe InDesign. 2. Go to Help > Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install the latest update. 4. Restart the application as required.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict file opening
allLimit user ability to open untrusted InDesign files by implementing application whitelisting or file type restrictions.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Educate users to avoid opening InDesign files from untrusted sources.
- Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor for suspicious file execution and block malicious activities.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the Adobe InDesign version via Help > About InDesign; if version is 17.2.1 or earlier, or 16.4.1 or earlier, it is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Windows: Check via Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features. On macOS: Use 'defaults read /Applications/Adobe\ InDesign\ CC\ 2022/Adobe\ InDesign\ CC\ 2022.app/Contents/Info.plist CFBundleShortVersionString' (adjust path for version).Verify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify the version is 17.3 or later for 17.x, or 16.4.2 or later for 16.x.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Log entries showing InDesign crashes or unexpected file openings from suspicious sources.
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections after opening InDesign files, indicating potential command and control activity.
SIEM Query:
Example: 'event_source="Adobe InDesign" AND (event_type="crash" OR file_path="*.indd" AND source_ip="external")'