CVE-2022-28275 in Photoshop
Summary
by MITRE • 05/06/2022
Adobe Photoshop versions 22.5.6 (and earlier) and 23.2.2 (and earlier) are affected by an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. 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 • 05/11/2022
Adobe Photoshop contains a critical out-of-bounds write vulnerability that affects versions 22.5.6 and earlier, as well as 23.2.2 and earlier. This flaw resides in the application's handling of specially crafted image files and represents a serious security weakness that could enable remote code execution. The vulnerability manifests when the software processes malformed input data during file parsing operations, leading to memory corruption that attackers can potentially exploit to execute malicious code with the privileges of the current user. The issue is classified as a buffer overflow condition where the application writes data beyond the allocated memory boundaries, creating opportunities for arbitrary code execution. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write, which is a well-documented weakness in software security that occurs when a program writes to memory beyond the boundaries of a buffer. The attack requires user interaction through social engineering or phishing techniques, as victims must open a maliciously crafted file for exploitation to occur. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may encounter such files through email attachments, file downloads, or malicious websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for further system compromise. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the current user, which could lead to privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or installation of additional malware. The vulnerability's exploitation requires a malicious file to be opened, making it susceptible to targeted attacks through spear-phishing campaigns or compromised websites. Security researchers have identified that the flaw occurs during the processing of specific image formats, particularly those that involve complex metadata handling or embedded scripting capabilities. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to bypass traditional security controls and establish persistent access to affected systems. The vulnerability's presence in both major release lines of Photoshop indicates a fundamental flaw in the application's input validation and memory management processes, suggesting that similar issues may exist in other parts of the software.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch management and user education initiatives. Organizations should prioritize updating to the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop that contain fixes for this vulnerability, as Adobe has released security updates addressing the issue. System administrators should implement strict file validation procedures and consider deploying sandboxing solutions to limit the potential impact of malicious file execution. Network security controls such as email filtering and web proxies should be configured to block suspicious file types and prevent users from accessing known malicious sources. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution emphasizes the importance of endpoint protection measures and user awareness training. Additional defensive measures include implementing application whitelisting policies, monitoring for unusual file processing activities, and maintaining regular security assessments of image processing workflows. Organizations should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle such vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of updated software to ensure that the fix does not introduce compatibility issues with existing workflows or legitimate use cases.