CVE-2023-29313 in InDesign
Summary
by MITRE • 07/12/2023
Adobe InDesign versions ID18.3 (and earlier) and ID17.4.1 (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 • 07/12/2023
Adobe InDesign versions ID18.3 and earlier as well as ID17.4.1 and earlier contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that poses significant security risks to users and organizations. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions where an application attempts to read data from memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries. The flaw manifests when the software processes maliciously crafted files that contain specially constructed data structures designed to trigger memory access violations. When a user opens such a crafted file, the application's memory management routines fail to properly validate buffer boundaries, allowing unauthorized memory access patterns that can expose sensitive data residing in adjacent memory locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data disclosure, as it can effectively bypass critical security mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization. ASLR represents a fundamental defense mechanism that randomizes memory layout to prevent attackers from reliably predicting memory addresses for exploitation purposes. However, this vulnerability undermines ASLR by providing attackers with information about memory contents that can be used to determine the locations of system libraries, stack addresses, and other protected memory regions. The attack vector requires user interaction, meaning that victims must actively open the malicious file, but this social engineering component does not significantly reduce the overall risk given the potential for automated delivery through phishing campaigns, malicious websites, or compromised software distribution channels. The vulnerability represents a significant concern for organizations that rely heavily on InDesign for creative workflows, as it could enable sophisticated attacks targeting design and publishing environments.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with the attack technique described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1550.002 for use of stolen credentials, as successful exploitation could provide attackers with memory contents that enable further attacks against the target system. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to the latest versions of Adobe InDesign where this vulnerability has been addressed, implementing strict file validation policies for incoming documents, and deploying sandboxing solutions to isolate document processing activities. Additionally, security awareness training should emphasize the importance of avoiding opening suspicious files from untrusted sources, and network-level controls such as email filtering and web proxy configurations should be enhanced to prevent delivery of malicious files through common attack vectors. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing layered security approaches to protect against sophisticated exploitation techniques that target creative software applications.