CVE-2022-28279 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 a use-after-free 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 use-after-free vulnerability in its handling of certain file formats that affects versions 22.5.6 and earlier as well as 23.2.2 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the application's memory management mechanisms where freed memory blocks are still being referenced after their intended use has concluded. The flaw occurs when Photoshop processes specially crafted malicious files that trigger improper memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to the same memory locations. According to CWE-416, this represents a classic use-after-free condition where the program attempts to access memory that has already been freed, creating a potential exploitation vector for remote code execution. The vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited, meaning an attacker must convince a victim to open a specifically crafted malicious file, making this a targeted attack scenario rather than an automated exploit. The security implications are severe as successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the currently logged-in user, potentially leading to full system compromise. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as the initial code execution can be leveraged to gain broader system access. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability makes it particularly dangerous because it can be used to overwrite critical program structures or inject malicious code into the application's memory space.
The technical exploitation of this use-after-free vulnerability requires careful crafting of malicious file content that triggers the specific memory management flaw during file parsing. Attackers typically create files with malformed structures that cause Photoshop to allocate memory for certain objects, process them, and then free the memory while simultaneously setting pointers to reference freed memory locations. When the application subsequently accesses these freed pointers, it can either crash the application or, more critically, allow an attacker to control the execution flow through carefully positioned payload data. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Photoshop is widely used for graphic design and image processing tasks, as users may receive malicious files through email attachments, file sharing platforms, or compromised websites. This makes the attack surface significant and the potential for successful exploitation quite high in environments with less stringent security controls. The fact that the vulnerability requires user interaction provides some defense in depth opportunities through user education and security awareness programs, but does not eliminate the threat entirely.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Adobe Photoshop versions to mitigate this vulnerability, as the window for exploitation is relatively small once users open malicious files. Security teams should implement application whitelisting policies that restrict the execution of Photoshop on systems where it is not required, particularly in high-risk environments such as financial institutions or government agencies. Network-based intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for suspicious file transfers or downloads that might contain malicious Photoshop files, especially those with unusual extensions or file sizes. Additionally, email filtering solutions should be enhanced to detect and block suspicious file attachments that could contain these malicious payloads. The vulnerability's classification as a use-after-free makes it particularly susceptible to exploitation through heap spraying techniques where attackers attempt to position malicious code in memory locations that will be accessed after the vulnerable function frees memory. Security professionals should also consider implementing sandboxing solutions that isolate Photoshop execution environments to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include evaluation of file handling capabilities within Photoshop to identify additional potential vulnerabilities in the application's parsing logic. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices in security-critical applications and the necessity of comprehensive code reviews to identify similar patterns that could lead to similar issues in other software components.