CVE-2023-29317 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 designated as CVE-2023-29317 that presents significant security implications for affected systems. This vulnerability resides within the application's memory management mechanisms and represents a fundamental flaw in how the software handles data access operations beyond allocated memory boundaries. The technical nature of this issue allows an attacker to read memory locations that should remain protected, potentially exposing sensitive information stored in adjacent memory segments. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's handling of malformed input files, creating a condition where arbitrary memory content becomes accessible through improper boundary checks during file processing operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-29317 extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential bypass of modern security mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization. This capability significantly weakens the security posture of affected systems since attackers can leverage the vulnerability to gather memory layout information that would normally be randomized and obscured. The vulnerability requires user interaction for exploitation, meaning a victim must open a maliciously crafted file for the attack to succeed, which aligns with common social engineering attack patterns. This user interaction requirement does not diminish the severity of the vulnerability but rather indicates that exploitation would likely occur through targeted phishing campaigns or compromised file sharing channels. The out-of-bounds read condition creates opportunities for attackers to extract information that could be used in subsequent exploitation attempts, including kernel addresses, stack canaries, or other security-relevant data.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for application execution through file manipulation. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and memory access control practices within Adobe InDesign's file parsing routines, particularly when processing structured document formats. Security researchers have identified that the vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking during the processing of specific file format elements, allowing attackers to manipulate memory access patterns through carefully crafted input files. This type of vulnerability represents a classic example of how seemingly benign file processing operations can become attack vectors when proper memory safety controls are not implemented. The exploitation process typically involves creating a malicious file that, when opened by an affected InDesign version, triggers the out-of-bounds read condition and subsequently allows memory disclosure.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patch deployment for all affected Adobe InDesign installations to remediate CVE-2023-29317. Adobe has released security updates addressing this vulnerability, and system administrators should implement these patches across all endpoints running affected versions. Additional mitigations include implementing strict file access controls and user education programs to reduce the likelihood of opening untrusted files. Network-based protections such as email filtering and web application firewalls can help prevent delivery of malicious files through common attack vectors. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual file access patterns and memory-related activities that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution risk through information disclosure makes it particularly dangerous when combined with other exploitation techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of unauthorized software, including older versions of Adobe InDesign that may not have received security updates. Incident response plans should include specific procedures for handling potential exploitation attempts related to this vulnerability, including memory dump analysis and forensic investigation of affected systems.