CVE-2022-30671 in InDesign
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2022
Adobe InDesign versions 16.4.2 (and earlier) and 17.3 (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 • 10/18/2022
Adobe InDesign versions 16.4.2 and earlier as well as 17.3 and earlier contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability designated as CVE-2022-30671 that presents significant security implications for affected systems. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions where software attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The flaw manifests when the application processes specially crafted malicious files, creating a scenario where an attacker can manipulate memory access patterns to extract sensitive information from the application's memory space.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows for privilege escalation and bypass of critical security mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization which is designed to prevent attackers from predicting memory addresses. When a user opens a malicious file, the application's memory management routines fail to properly validate input data boundaries, leading to unauthorized memory access that can reveal stack contents, heap data, or other sensitive information. This type of vulnerability represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can create exploitable conditions in desktop publishing applications that handle complex document formats.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that can undermine the security posture of affected systems. Attackers can leverage this weakness to gather intelligence about the target system's memory layout, potentially facilitating more advanced exploitation techniques such as return-oriented programming or just-in-time compilation attacks. The requirement for user interaction makes this vulnerability particularly concerning in enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious files through email attachments, file sharing platforms, or compromised websites. This attack vector aligns with the ATT&CK framework's technique T1203, which covers 'Exploitation for Client Execution' where adversaries use vulnerabilities to execute code on victim systems.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to Adobe InDesign versions that have addressed this vulnerability, as the security patch resolves the underlying memory access validation issues. System administrators should implement strict file validation policies and user education programs to minimize exposure risk, while network security teams should monitor for potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution risk, though requiring user interaction, necessitates comprehensive security controls including endpoint protection solutions, email filtering, and regular security assessments to prevent successful exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against sophisticated attack vectors that target desktop applications.