CVE-2022-27655 in 3D Visual Enterprise Viewer
Summary
by MITRE • 04/12/2022
When a user opens a manipulated Universal 3D (.u3d, 3difr.x3d) received from untrusted sources in SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Viewer - version 9.0, the application crashes and becomes temporarily unavailable to the user until restart of the application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2022
CVE-2022-27655 represents a denial of service vulnerability affecting SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Viewer version 9.0 that arises from improper handling of malformed Universal 3D files. This vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient input validation as defined by CWE-20, where the application fails to adequately sanitize or validate input data from untrusted sources. The flaw specifically manifests when the viewer processes manipulated .u3d or 3difr.x3d files that contain malformed structures or unexpected data sequences. The vulnerability is classified as a buffer overflow or memory corruption issue within the file parsing routine, which causes the application to crash upon encountering malformed input data. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where 3D visualization tools are used for product design, engineering, and collaborative review processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it can disrupt critical business processes involving 3D content review and collaboration. When exploited, the vulnerability results in a complete application hang or crash that requires manual restart, potentially interrupting ongoing design reviews or engineering workflows. This denial of service condition affects not only individual users but can also impact team productivity when multiple stakeholders rely on the same visualization environment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where 3D files are frequently shared between departments or with external partners, as a single malformed file can compromise the entire visualization platform. From an attacker perspective, this represents a low-effort means of disrupting business operations without requiring advanced technical skills or elevated privileges, making it a potentially attractive vector for operational disruption attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-27655 should focus on both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements. Organizations should implement strict file validation procedures that filter or reject suspicious 3D file formats before they reach the viewer application, utilizing content inspection tools and sandboxing techniques to prevent direct execution of potentially malicious files. The recommended approach includes deploying network-based security controls that can detect and block malformed 3D content at the perimeter, as well as implementing user education programs that emphasize the risks of opening untrusted 3D files. SAP has released patches and updates to address this vulnerability, which should be applied immediately to all affected systems. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of the viewer application to known good configurations and establish monitoring procedures to detect unusual application crash patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service and represents a typical example of how seemingly benign file format handling can become a critical security risk when proper input validation is not implemented.