CVE-2025-43588: Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability in Substance3D – Sampler Versions 5.0 and Earlier

Overview

In this blog post, we delve into the details of a serious cybersecurity vulnerability (CVE-2025-43588) that affects Substance3D – Sampler versions 5.0 and earlier. This vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write flaw that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. This vulnerability is of significant concern due to its potential to compromise entire systems or lead to data leakage. The vulnerability requires user interaction, as victims are required to open a malicious file for the exploit to take place.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-43588
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Arbitrary code execution, potential system compromise, and data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Substance3D – Sampler | Versions 5.0 and earlier

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability resides in an out-of-bounds write error within the Substance3D – Sampler. This error allows an attacker to write data past the end of an allocated buffer. This can result in the corruption of relevant memory and potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code. However, exploiting this vulnerability requires user interaction, specifically, the user must open a malicious file crafted by the attacker.

Conceptual Example Code

While the actual code exploiting this vulnerability would depend on the specific implementation of Substance3D – Sampler and the attacker’s goals, a conceptual example of the exploit could look like this:

# Attacker crafts a malicious file with the overflowing data
echo 'malicious_payload' > exploit.sbs
# The user, unaware of the malicious intent, opens the file with Substance3D - Sampler
Substance3D-Sampler exploit.sbs

In this scenario, ‘malicious_payload’ would be designed to overflow the buffer and execute arbitrary code, potentially giving the attacker control over the user’s system.

Mitigation and Prevention

Users can mitigate the risk of this vulnerability by applying the vendor patch as soon as it is available. In the meantime, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) can serve as temporary mitigation. It’s also recommended to avoid opening files from untrusted sources to reduce the risk of falling victim to such an exploit.