CVE-2023-44331 in Photoshop Desktop
Summary
by MITRE • 11/16/2023
Adobe Photoshop versions 24.7.1 (and earlier) and 25.0 (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 • 12/12/2023
Adobe Photoshop versions 24.7.1 and earlier as well as 25.0 and earlier contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that represents a significant security risk for users of the software. This vulnerability falls under the category of memory safety issues and can be classified as CWE-125 according to the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The flaw occurs when the application processes certain image files that contain malformed or specially crafted data structures, leading to unauthorized memory access patterns that can expose sensitive information stored in adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability specifically affects the image parsing and rendering components within Photoshop's core processing engine.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious file that triggers the out-of-bounds read condition when opened by an unsuspecting user. When Photoshop attempts to parse the malicious file, it reads memory beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, potentially exposing kernel memory addresses, stack contents, or other sensitive data that could be used for further exploitation. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be leveraged to bypass important security mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization, which is designed to make exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities more difficult. The bypass of ASLR represents a significant escalation in attack capability, as it removes one of the primary defenses that modern operating systems employ to protect against memory corruption exploits.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates opportunities for more sophisticated attacks that could ultimately lead to arbitrary code execution. Security researchers have identified that the vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only user interaction through file opening, making it highly exploitable in social engineering campaigns or through compromised websites. Attackers could distribute malicious files through various vectors including email attachments, compromised websites, or malicious software downloads, with the expectation that victims would open them using Photoshop. The attack surface is broadened by the fact that Photoshop is widely used across creative industries and professional environments where users may be less security-aware and more likely to open files from untrusted sources.
Organizations and individual users should immediately update to the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop to address this vulnerability, as Adobe has released patches that correct the out-of-bounds read condition. Security teams should implement additional protective measures including email filtering rules to block suspicious file attachments, endpoint protection solutions that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts, and user education programs that emphasize the dangers of opening untrusted files. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing robust patch management processes. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) when combined with additional attack vectors, making it a critical component of any comprehensive security strategy that must account for both endpoint and network-based defenses.