CVE-2023-27908
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows privilege escalation through a DLL hijacking attack in Autodesk installers. An attacker could execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges by placing a malicious DLL where the installer loads it. This affects systems running vulnerable Autodesk software installations.
💻 Affected Systems
- Autodesk Installer
📦 What is this software?
Installer by Autodesk
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with administrative privileges, allowing installation of persistent malware, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation enabling attackers to bypass security controls, install additional tools, or access restricted resources.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper user privilege restrictions and application control policies in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires ability to place malicious DLL in specific location and trigger installer execution. Local access needed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Updated installer versions released April 2023
Vendor Advisory: https://www.autodesk.com/trust/security-advisories/adsk-sa-2023-0010
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check Autodesk advisory for affected products. 2. Update to latest versions. 3. Run installer updates. 4. Restart systems if required.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict DLL loading paths
windowsUse application control policies to restrict where DLLs can be loaded from
Use Windows AppLocker or similar to restrict DLL execution from untrusted locations
Principle of least privilege
windowsRun Autodesk software with minimal required privileges
Configure user accounts with limited privileges for Autodesk software use
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict application control policies to prevent unauthorized DLL execution
- Monitor for suspicious DLL loading behavior and installer execution patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Autodesk product versions against advisory. Review installer version in program files.Check Version:
Check Autodesk product About dialog or control panel programs list for version numbersVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Autodesk products are updated to versions released after April 2023. Check installer logs for successful updates.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual DLL loading from non-standard paths
- Autodesk installer execution with unexpected DLLs
- Privilege escalation attempts
Network Indicators:
- None - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
Process creation where parent process contains 'autodesk' or 'installer' and child process has elevated privileges