CVE-2019-7360 in Advance Steel
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable heap overflow vulnerability in the DXF-parsing functionality in Autodesk Advance Steel 2018, Autodesk AutoCAD 2018, Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2018, Autodesk AutoCAD Electrical 2018, Autodesk AutoCAD Map 3D 2018, Autodesk AutoCAD Mechanical 2018, Autodesk AutoCAD MEP 2018, Autodesk AutoCAD P&ID 2018, Autodesk AutoCAD Plant 3D 2018, Autodesk AutoCAD LT 2018, and Autodesk Civil 3D 2018. A specially crafted DXF file with too many cell margins populating an AcCellMargin object may cause a heap overflow, resulting in code execution.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-7360 represents a critical heap overflow flaw within the DXF parsing components of multiple Autodesk AutoCAD products and related software. This issue specifically targets the handling of AcCellMargin objects within DXF files, where an excessive number of cell margins can trigger memory corruption during file processing. The affected software versions include Autodesk Advance Steel 2018 through Autodesk Civil 3D 2018, indicating a widespread impact across Autodesk's product portfolio. The vulnerability resides in the software's ability to process structured data formats, particularly when dealing with complex spreadsheet-like elements within DXF files that contain extensive margin specifications.
The technical mechanism behind this heap overflow involves improper bounds checking during the parsing of DXF cell margin data structures. When an attacker crafts a malicious DXF file containing an excessive number of cell margins, the parsing routine fails to validate the quantity of margin entries against allocated memory buffers. This leads to memory corruption as the application attempts to write beyond the allocated heap space, potentially overwriting adjacent memory regions. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, though in this case the overflow occurs in heap memory due to the dynamic allocation patterns used in the AcCellMargin object processing. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation practices in the software's data parsing engine, where user-supplied data directly influences memory allocation decisions without adequate sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it provides a potential pathway for remote code execution. An attacker who can convince a victim to open a specially crafted DXF file through any of the affected Autodesk products could potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the victim user. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious files through email attachments, file sharing platforms, or compromised websites. The attack surface is broad given the widespread adoption of these AutoCAD products across engineering, architectural, and construction industries, where DXF files are commonly exchanged between different software platforms. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 by leveraging application vulnerabilities to gain execution privileges, and represents a significant risk to supply chain security given the software's role in critical infrastructure design processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-7360 should focus on immediate software updates from Autodesk, as the vendor has released patches addressing the heap overflow in affected versions. Organizations should implement strict file validation policies, particularly for DXF files received from external sources, and consider deploying sandboxing mechanisms for file analysis before opening. Network segmentation and access controls can limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, while regular security awareness training can help prevent social engineering attacks that might deliver malicious DXF files. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation and memory safety practices in CAD software, where the parsing of external data formats must include comprehensive bounds checking and error handling to prevent exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing automated threat detection systems that can identify suspicious file patterns and behaviors associated with known exploit signatures.