CVE-2022-40657 in NIS-Elements Viewer
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2022
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of NIKON NIS-Elements Viewer 1.2100.1483.0. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of PSD files. Crafted data in a PSD file can trigger a write past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-15073.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-40657 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within NIKON NIS-Elements Viewer version 1.2100.1483.0, a specialized image viewing application used primarily in scientific and research environments. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to arbitrary code execution. The flaw specifically manifests during the parsing of Photoshop Document (.psd) files, which are commonly used in professional imaging workflows and scientific data visualization. The vulnerability was tracked by Zero Day Initiative as ZDI-CAN-15073, highlighting its significance in the cybersecurity landscape.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the NIS-Elements Viewer application processes maliciously crafted PSD files. The buffer overflow condition is triggered by specially designed data structures within the PSD file format that cause the application to write data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory buffers. This memory corruption allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially including return addresses or function pointers, which can be manipulated to redirect execution flow. The vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited, meaning that an attacker must convince a target to open a malicious PSD file, typically through social engineering tactics such as phishing emails or compromised websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to operate within the security context of the currently running process. This means that if a user with administrative privileges opens a malicious PSD file, the attacker could potentially gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary commands on the target system. The vulnerability affects users in scientific research environments where NIS-Elements Viewer is commonly deployed, including laboratories, universities, and research institutions that handle sensitive data. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that PSD files are frequently shared in research collaborations and can be easily disguised as legitimate scientific data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-40657 should prioritize immediate software updates from NIKON, as this vulnerability represents a known exploit that has been documented in the cybersecurity community. Organizations should implement strict file validation policies that prevent automatic execution of potentially malicious files, particularly those with .psd extensions from untrusted sources. Network-based defenses such as web application firewalls and email filtering systems can help prevent the delivery of malicious PSD files through common attack vectors. Additionally, security awareness training for users in scientific environments should emphasize the risks of opening untrusted files and the importance of verifying file sources before processing. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in specialized applications and the need for regular security assessments of scientific software tools that handle user-provided data. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for image processing applications and maintaining up-to-date threat intelligence to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.