CVE-2023-44335 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 presents significant security risks to users and organizations. This vulnerability falls under the category of memory safety issues and represents a fundamental flaw in how the application processes certain file formats, particularly those involving image data manipulation. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking within the software's image parsing routines, where the application attempts to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. Such behavior creates opportunities for attackers to extract sensitive information from the application's memory space, potentially including stack canaries, heap metadata, or other security-critical data that could be leveraged to bypass modern exploit mitigations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user interaction vector, specifically requiring a victim to open a maliciously crafted file within the Photoshop application. This user interaction requirement makes the attack surface more constrained but does not eliminate the severity of the issue, as social engineering campaigns can effectively target users with file delivery mechanisms. When a victim opens the malicious file, the out-of-bounds read occurs during the image processing phase, potentially causing the application to read adjacent memory locations that may contain sensitive data structures. The memory disclosure aspect of this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it can expose information that helps attackers understand the memory layout of the running process, which is essential for bypassing address space layout randomization and other exploit mitigations. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and CWE-131, which covers improper handling of length parameters, both of which are fundamental memory safety issues that have been extensively documented in the cybersecurity community.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can significantly weaken the security posture of systems running affected Photoshop versions. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain insights into the memory layout of running processes, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks such as return-oriented programming or jump-oriented programming exploits. The ability to bypass ASLR mitigations through memory disclosure represents a particularly dangerous aspect of this vulnerability, as it undermines one of the primary defenses against exploit development. Organizations using Photoshop for professional image editing, graphic design, or media production are at risk, especially when these applications are used in environments where users may encounter untrusted files from various sources. The vulnerability also affects users who regularly process files from external sources, including clients, suppliers, or public repositories, making it a widespread concern for enterprises and individual users alike. The impact is further amplified in environments where Photoshop is used for security-sensitive operations, such as forensic image analysis or professional media production where the integrity of the processing environment is paramount.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through official Adobe patches and updates, as well as implementing additional operational security measures. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected Photoshop installations to versions that contain the necessary security fixes, typically released as part of Adobe's regular security update cycle. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, users should be trained to avoid opening untrusted files, particularly those received via email attachments, file sharing services, or downloaded from unverified sources. Network security controls such as email filtering and web proxies can help reduce the risk of malicious files reaching end users, while endpoint protection solutions should be configured to monitor for suspicious file execution patterns. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current software inventory and implementing robust patch management processes to ensure timely remediation of security issues. Security teams should consider monitoring for potential exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection and response systems, as the memory disclosure aspect of this vulnerability may produce detectable patterns in network or system behavior. Additionally, organizations should review their incident response procedures to ensure readiness for potential exploitation of this vulnerability, as the ability to bypass ASLR and other mitigations could enable more sophisticated attacks that require immediate response capabilities.