CVE-2022-23192 in Illustrator
Summary
by MITRE • 02/16/2022
Adobe Illustrator versions 25.4.3 (and earlier) and 26.0.2 (and earlier) are affected by an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that could lead to disclosure of sensitive memory. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to bypass mitigations such as ASLR. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2022
Adobe Illustrator versions 25.4.3 and earlier as well as 26.0.2 and earlier contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that presents significant security risks to users. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions in software implementations. The flaw occurs when the application processes malformed or specially crafted files that trigger memory access patterns beyond the intended buffer boundaries. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited to bypass critical security mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization which is designed to protect against memory corruption attacks. Attackers can leverage this issue by crafting malicious files that, when opened by an unsuspecting user, trigger the vulnerable code path within the Illustrator application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires user interaction as specified in the CVE description, meaning that a victim must actively open a malicious file for the attack to succeed. This user interaction requirement reduces the attack surface compared to fully automated exploits but does not eliminate the threat entirely. The out-of-bounds read condition allows attackers to access memory locations that should normally be protected or inaccessible, potentially exposing sensitive data including memory contents, cryptographic keys, or other confidential information. When such memory disclosure occurs, it can provide attackers with information that helps them bypass security protections, particularly ASLR which relies on randomizing memory layout to prevent predictable memory addresses. The successful exploitation of this vulnerability could enable attackers to gain deeper insights into the application's memory structure and potentially facilitate more sophisticated attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it represents a foundational security weakness that could enable further exploitation techniques. Security researchers have identified that such memory corruption vulnerabilities often serve as stepping stones to more severe attacks including arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation. Organizations using Adobe Illustrator in professional environments face increased risk from this vulnerability, particularly those handling sensitive design files or working in competitive markets where intellectual property protection is critical. The vulnerability affects both major release lines of Illustrator, indicating that it's a persistent flaw that spans multiple versions and likely represents a fundamental issue in the application's file parsing logic. Users who regularly work with external design files or collaborate with third-party designers are at heightened risk since the attack vector involves opening potentially malicious files from untrusted sources.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to Adobe Illustrator versions that contain patches for this vulnerability, specifically versions beyond the affected releases mentioned in the CVE. System administrators should implement strict file validation policies and consider sandboxing measures for handling untrusted design files. The mitigation strategy should include user education about the dangers of opening files from unknown sources and implementing security awareness programs that emphasize the risks associated with malicious file attachments. Network security controls such as email filtering and web proxy configurations can help prevent users from accessing malicious files through common attack vectors. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar issues in other Adobe applications and software products that may share similar code bases or file processing mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing layered security approaches to protect against memory corruption exploits that can bypass traditional security controls.