CVE-2022-24090 in Photoshop
Summary
by MITRE • 03/11/2022
Adobe Photoshop versions 23.1.1 (and earlier) and 22.5.5 (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 • 03/14/2022
Adobe Photoshop versions 23.1.1 and earlier as well as 22.5.5 and earlier contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that presents significant security implications for affected systems. This vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption flaws and represents a serious concern for enterprise environments where Photoshop is widely deployed. The flaw manifests when the application processes specially crafted files that trigger an invalid memory access pattern during image parsing operations. The out-of-bounds read occurs within the image processing pipeline where the software attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can expose sensitive memory contents including stack canaries, heap metadata, and other security-related data structures that are typically protected from direct access by normal application operations. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-125 out-of-bounds read according to the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which specifically addresses situations where applications read memory locations beyond the intended buffer limits. This weakness directly relates to the broader category of buffer over-read conditions that have been consistently identified as high-risk vulnerabilities in software security assessments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential bypass mechanisms for modern exploit mitigations. When an attacker successfully exploits this out-of-bounds read, they can potentially extract memory addresses that are crucial for bypassing Address Space Layout Randomization, a fundamental security feature designed to prevent attackers from reliably predicting memory locations. The extraction of these memory addresses through the out-of-bounds read allows attackers to perform more sophisticated exploitation techniques including return-oriented programming attacks and other advanced exploitation methods. The vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited effectively, meaning that victims must open a maliciously crafted file within Photoshop for the attack to succeed. This user interaction requirement does not diminish the severity of the issue, as social engineering campaigns can easily convince users to open seemingly legitimate files that contain the malicious payload. The attack surface is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Photoshop is commonly used for document review and image processing tasks, making these systems prime targets for exploitation.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor memory access issues can have far-reaching consequences for system security. Attackers can leverage the memory disclosure to gather information about the target system's memory layout, which is essential for crafting effective exploits against other vulnerabilities. The memory contents accessed through this out-of-bounds read may include information about heap layout, stack contents, or other sensitive data that can be used to defeat security mitigations. This vulnerability aligns with the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as the initial memory disclosure can serve as a foundation for more complex attack chains. Organizations should recognize that this vulnerability represents a significant risk to their security posture, particularly in environments where Photoshop is used for processing files from untrusted sources. The vulnerability's impact is further amplified by the fact that it affects multiple major versions of Adobe Photoshop, indicating that the underlying flaw has persisted across several releases and has not been adequately addressed in the software's memory management routines. This widespread impact underscores the importance of timely patch deployment and comprehensive security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patch deployment as provided by Adobe, along with implementation of additional security controls to reduce the attack surface. Organizations should consider implementing strict file validation processes for all image files processed through Photoshop, particularly those received from external sources or untrusted users. Network-based security controls such as email filtering and web application firewalls should be configured to block potentially malicious image files before they reach end-user systems. The principle of least privilege should be enforced when running Photoshop, limiting the application's access to system resources and preventing potential privilege escalation if exploitation occurs. Regular security assessments should include testing for similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in other image processing applications and office productivity tools that may be similarly affected. System monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual memory access patterns or unexpected file processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security awareness training should emphasize the dangers of opening unknown or untrusted files, particularly in enterprise environments where social engineering attacks often target end users. The vulnerability also highlights the need for organizations to maintain comprehensive patch management processes that can quickly respond to critical security advisories and ensure all systems remain protected against known vulnerabilities.