CVE-2022-30644 in Illustrator
Summary
by MITRE • 09/07/2023
Adobe Illustrator versions 26.0.2 (and earlier) and 25.4.5 (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 • 04/22/2025
Adobe Illustrator suffers from a critical use-after-free vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-30644 affecting versions 26.0.2 and earlier, as well as 25.4.5 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of specific file formats and represents a classic memory safety issue that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code. The flaw occurs when the software attempts to access memory that has already been freed, creating a potential entry point for malicious actors to gain unauthorized system access. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only user interaction to exploit, making it highly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios where social engineering could be employed to deliver malicious files. The technical implementation involves improper memory management during file processing, where Illustrator fails to properly validate or manage memory references after objects have been deallocated, leading to a state where freed memory can be accessed and manipulated by an attacker. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-416 as Use After Free, which is a well-documented weakness in software security that frequently leads to remote code execution when properly exploited. The attack vector requires a user to open a specially crafted malicious file, which triggers the memory corruption during file parsing or rendering operations. This user interaction requirement makes the vulnerability more practical to exploit in real-world scenarios, as it does not require a privileged execution context or network-based attacks. The operational impact extends beyond simple code execution, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to install malware, modify system files, or escalate privileges within the user's security context. The vulnerability affects both major release lines of Illustrator, indicating a fundamental issue in the codebase that was not properly addressed across the software's version history. Security researchers have noted that the exploitation of such vulnerabilities often follows established attack patterns documented in frameworks like the ATT&CK matrix, where initial access is gained through malicious file delivery and subsequent privilege escalation or lateral movement can occur once the initial foothold is established. Organizations utilizing Adobe Illustrator in enterprise environments face significant risk from this vulnerability, particularly in sectors where design professionals handle sensitive files from external sources. The remediation approach requires immediate patching of affected versions, with Adobe releasing updates to address the memory management issues in their file processing libraries. System administrators should prioritize deployment of the latest security patches and implement additional controls such as email filtering, file type restrictions, and user education to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing challenge in software security where complex applications like professional design tools require extensive memory management validation to prevent such critical flaws from being exploited in the hands of adversaries.