CVE-2023-25865
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-25865 is an improper input validation vulnerability in Adobe Substance 3D Stager that allows arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious file. This affects users of Substance 3D Stager versions 2.0.0 and earlier, requiring user interaction to trigger the exploit.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Substance 3D Stager
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control of the victim's machine 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 through social engineering attacks where users are tricked into opening malicious project files.
If Mitigated
No impact if users only open trusted files from verified sources and the application is properly patched.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file) and knowledge of the vulnerability details.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.0.1 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/substance3d_stager/apsb23-22.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Substance 3D Stager. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install version 2.0.1 or later. 4. Restart the application.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict file opening
allOnly open Substance 3D Stager files from trusted sources and verify file integrity before opening.
Application sandboxing
allRun Substance 3D Stager in a sandboxed environment to limit potential damage from exploitation.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized code
- Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious process creation
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Adobe Substance 3D Stager version in Help > About. If version is 2.0.0 or earlier, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Not applicable - check via application GUI Help > About menuVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 2.0.1 or later in Help > About menu.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected process creation from Substance 3D Stager
- File access patterns showing malicious file opening
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Substance 3D Stager to suspicious domains
SIEM Query:
Process creation where parent_process contains 'Substance 3D Stager' AND process_name NOT IN ('expected_processes')