CVE-2024-7995
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in VRED Design allows privilege escalation to SYSTEM level when a malicious binary file is downloaded and executed. Attackers can exploit an untrusted search path issue to execute arbitrary code with highest privileges. Users of affected VRED Design versions on Windows systems are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Autodesk VRED Design
📦 What is this software?
Vred by Autodesk
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with SYSTEM privileges, allowing attackers to install persistent malware, steal all credentials, and control the entire system.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to lateral movement within the network, credential harvesting, and installation of additional payloads.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper application whitelisting and user privilege restrictions are in place, preventing execution of unauthorized binaries.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user to download and execute a malicious binary file. The untrusted search path vulnerability makes exploitation straightforward once the malicious file is present.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2025.1 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.autodesk.com/trust/security-advisories/adsk-sa-2024-0022
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download VRED Design 2025.1 or later from Autodesk. 2. Run the installer. 3. Restart the system after installation completes. 4. Verify the update was successful.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict binary execution
windowsImplement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries.
Configure Windows AppLocker or similar application control solutions
User privilege reduction
windowsRun VRED Design with standard user privileges instead of administrative rights.
net localgroup "Users" [username] /add
net localgroup "Administrators" [username] /delete
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict application whitelisting policies
- Restrict user privileges and use least privilege principle
- Monitor for suspicious binary execution and privilege escalation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check VRED Design version in Help > About. If version is 2025.0 or earlier, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check application version through Help > About in VRED Design interfaceVerify Fix Applied:
Verify VRED Design version is 2025.1 or later in Help > About menu.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Windows Event Logs showing privilege escalation events (Event ID 4672)
- Application logs showing unexpected binary execution
- Security logs with SYSTEM privilege acquisition
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from VRED Design process
- SMB or RDP connections originating from affected systems
SIEM Query:
source="windows_security" EventID=4672 AND SubjectUserName="SYSTEM" AND ProcessName="*vred*"