CVE-2025-7296 in CADImage Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/21/2025
IrfanView CADImage Plugin DXF File Parsing Memory Corruption Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of IrfanView CADImage Plugin. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file.
The specific flaw exists within the parsing of DXF files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a memory corruption condition. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-26243.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2025
The CVE-2025-7296 vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the IrfanView CADImage Plugin's handling of DXF file formats, exposing systems to remote code execution attacks. This vulnerability resides in the plugin's DXF file parsing functionality where insufficient input validation allows maliciously crafted data to trigger memory corruption conditions. The flaw specifically manifests when the plugin processes untrusted DXF files, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory layout and execute arbitrary code within the context of the IrfanView process. The vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited effectively, meaning targets must either visit a malicious webpage hosting compromised DXF content or directly open a malicious file, making this a user-initiated attack vector rather than a fully automated remote compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read errors. These classifications reflect the memory corruption patterns that occur when the CADImage plugin fails to properly validate the boundaries of user-supplied DXF data structures. The vulnerability exploits the lack of proper bounds checking during file parsing operations, allowing attackers to overwrite memory regions and potentially redirect execution flow through controlled data manipulation. The plugin's failure to implement robust input sanitization means that malformed DXF elements can cause unpredictable memory behavior, creating conditions where attacker-controlled data can overwrite critical program structures including return addresses, function pointers, or other executable memory regions. This memory corruption scenario directly enables arbitrary code execution capabilities, as the attacker can manipulate program flow to execute malicious payloads within the IrfanView application context.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on IrfanView for document processing, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted content through web browsing or file sharing channels. The remote code execution capability allows attackers to potentially escalate privileges, establish persistent access, or deploy additional malicious payloads within the target system. The vulnerability's exploitation requires user interaction, which introduces a social engineering component to the attack vector, making it particularly dangerous in phishing scenarios where users might be tricked into opening malicious DXF files. Organizations using IrfanView in enterprise environments face potential compromise of sensitive data processing workflows, as the vulnerability can be leveraged to gain unauthorized access to systems where the plugin is installed and actively used for CAD document handling.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends across multiple operational domains including web-based attacks, file sharing platforms, and email attachments containing malicious DXF content. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in relation to ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for privilege escalation, and T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage. Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the CADImage plugin to address the input validation deficiencies, implementing network-based restrictions to prevent access to potentially malicious DXF content, and deploying user education programs to reduce successful social engineering campaigns. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted DXF files and establish monitoring procedures to detect suspicious file processing activities within IrfanView installations. Regular security assessments should verify that the patched versions are properly deployed and that no legacy vulnerable configurations remain active within the organization's attack surface.