CVE-2024-8598 in AutoCAD
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2024
A maliciously crafted STP file when parsed in ACTranslators.exe through Autodesk AutoCAD can force a Memory Corruption vulnerability. A malicious actor can leverage this vulnerability to cause a crash, write sensitive data, or execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-8598 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Autodesk AutoCAD's ACTranslators.exe component when processing specially crafted STP files. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and memory handling mechanisms within the translation engine responsible for processing STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data) file formats. The vulnerability specifically affects the parsing logic that handles STP file structures, where maliciously constructed data can trigger unexpected memory behavior during the translation process.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of STEP file headers, body sections, or parameter structures that cause the ACTranslators.exe process to improperly handle memory allocation and deallocation. When AutoCAD attempts to parse these malformed STP files, the memory corruption manifests through buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or heap corruption scenarios that can be leveraged by attackers to manipulate the program's execution flow. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of software parsing logic and memory management, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious code or cause system instability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on AutoCAD for design and engineering workflows. The ability to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process means that attackers can potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive design data, or establish persistent access to systems. The crash potential creates opportunities for denial-of-service attacks that can disrupt engineering operations, while the data writing capabilities could result in information disclosure or modification of critical design files. This vulnerability particularly impacts environments where AutoCAD is used for collaborative design work or where file sharing occurs across different security domains.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting file upload capabilities, implementing sandboxing for file processing, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, Heap-based Buffer Overflow, and CWE-787, Out-of-bounds Write, while potentially mapping to ATT&CK techniques such as T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for malicious file delivery. Regular updates to AutoCAD software should be prioritized, and organizations should consider implementing file validation processes that can detect and block potentially malicious STEP files before they reach the translation engine. Additionally, system administrators should monitor for unusual process behavior, memory access patterns, and network communications that may indicate exploitation attempts.