CVE-2023-48633 in After Effects
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2023
Adobe After Effects versions 24.0.3 (and earlier) and 23.6.0 (and earlier) are affected by a Use After Free vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. 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 • 01/06/2024
Adobe After Effects suffers from a critical use after free vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-48633 affecting versions 24.0.3 and earlier, as well as 23.6.0 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of maliciously crafted files and represents a classic memory safety issue that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code. The flaw occurs when the software attempts to access memory that has already been freed, creating a scenario where an attacker can manipulate the program's memory state to redirect execution flow. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416 as a use after free condition, which is a well-documented weakness that frequently leads to remote code execution when properly exploited. The attack requires user interaction through opening a malicious file, making it a client-side exploit that targets end users rather than network infrastructure. This makes the vulnerability particularly concerning in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently open compromised files through email attachments or file downloads. The exploitability of this issue is enhanced by the fact that After Effects is commonly used for creative work and media processing, making it a frequent target for social engineering campaigns. The impact extends beyond simple code execution as the vulnerability allows attackers to potentially escalate privileges and gain full control over the affected system, particularly when the application runs with elevated permissions. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access to compromised systems. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution through use of memory corruption vulnerabilities. Organizations using Adobe After Effects should prioritize patching to address this critical flaw, as the attack surface is broad due to the application's widespread use in creative industries. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in multimedia applications and highlights the need for regular security updates in creative software suites.
The technical exploitation of this use after free vulnerability requires careful crafting of malicious files that can trigger the memory corruption during normal application processing. When After Effects processes these specially crafted files, the application's memory management routines fail to properly track object lifecycles, leading to situations where freed memory blocks are accessed or overwritten by attacker-controlled data. This memory corruption can be leveraged to overwrite function pointers, return addresses, or other critical program structures, ultimately allowing an attacker to redirect program execution to malicious code. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that After Effects is often used to process media files from untrusted sources, making the attack vector quite accessible. The exploitation process typically involves creating a file that, when opened by After Effects, causes the application to free memory associated with a particular object while still maintaining references to that memory location. Attackers can then manipulate the freed memory to contain shellcode or other malicious code that gets executed when the application attempts to use the corrupted memory. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in creative applications because users often open files from various sources without sufficient security awareness, creating numerous potential attack vectors.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies while awaiting official patches for CVE-2023-48633. The primary defense mechanism involves restricting user access to potentially malicious files through email filtering, web application firewalls, and sandboxing solutions that can isolate file processing. Security teams should also consider implementing application control measures that limit the execution of After Effects on systems where it is not required for business operations. The vulnerability's requirement for user interaction makes user education crucial, as training personnel to recognize suspicious file attachments and downloads can significantly reduce exploitation success rates. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual file processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider deploying endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify anomalous behavior associated with memory corruption exploits. The implementation of principle of least privilege should be enforced, ensuring that After Effects runs with minimal required permissions to reduce potential impact from successful exploitation. Regular vulnerability assessments should include checking for outdated Adobe After Effects installations that may be vulnerable to this and similar memory corruption issues. System administrators should establish a rapid response protocol for handling security alerts related to this vulnerability, including immediate patch deployment and incident response procedures. The remediation process should also include verifying that all users have updated to patched versions of Adobe After Effects, as the vulnerability affects multiple major versions and requires careful version management across enterprise environments. Given the nature of this vulnerability and its potential for privilege escalation, organizations should also consider forensic analysis of systems that may have been compromised before patching was completed.