Overview
The world of cybersecurity is no stranger to various forms of vulnerabilities, with CVE-2025-6971 serving as one of the more recent examples. This vulnerability, a Use After Free vulnerability, exists in the CATPRODUCT file reading procedure in SOLIDWORKS eDrawings on Release SOLIDWORKS Desktop 2025. In essence, this vulnerability could potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code while opening a specially crafted CATPRODUCT file. This primarily affects users and organizations that utilize SOLIDWORKS eDrawings for their operations, and it poses a significant threat due to its potential for system compromise and data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-6971
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise, potential data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
SOLIDWORKS eDrawings | Desktop 2025
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability in the CATPRODUCT file reading procedure arises when it attempts to access memory after it has been freed, which is what is known as a “Use After Free” vulnerability. An attacker can take advantage of this by crafting a malicious CATPRODUCT file that, when opened in SOLIDWORKS eDrawings, triggers the vulnerability and allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
Conceptual Example Code
While a specific exploit code for this vulnerability is not provided to prevent misuse, a conceptual example could look something like this:
# Create a malicious CATPRODUCT file
echo 'malicious code' > exploit.catproduct
# Transfer the file to the target system
scp exploit.catproduct user@target:/path/to/directory
# The exploit is triggered when the user opens the file in SOLIDWORKS eDrawingsIn this pseudocode example, the attacker creates a malicious CATPRODUCT file containing the arbitrary code to be executed. The file is then transferred to the target system. When a user on the target system opens this file in SOLIDWORKS eDrawings, the vulnerability is triggered and the arbitrary code is executed.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, users of the affected versions of SOLIDWORKS eDrawings are advised to apply the vendor-released patch. In situations where the patch cannot be applied immediately, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation method. These systems can help to monitor network traffic for malicious activity and block or alert on any detected threats. Additionally, users should be cautious when opening files from untrusted sources, as these may contain malicious content designed to exploit this vulnerability.
