CVE-2025-54220: Heap-based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability in InCopy Versions 20.4, 19.5.4 and Earlier

Overview

The vulnerability CVE-2025-54220 is a critical heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that affects certain versions of the popular desktop publishing software, InCopy. This vulnerability could potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. The affected versions of InCopy are 20.4, 19.5.4 and earlier. This issue is especially significant because it could lead to a system compromise or data leakage if successfully exploited by an attacker, and it requires user interaction, namely the opening of a malicious file.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-54220
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System Compromise or Data Leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

InCopy | 20.4
InCopy | 19.5.4 and earlier

How the Exploit Works

The exploit takes advantage of a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the InCopy software. In this case, an attacker could craft a malicious file that, when opened in the affected versions of InCopy, overflows the buffer and corrupts the heap memory. This could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. The attacker’s code could potentially take full control of the affected system, leading to a system compromise, or access sensitive data, resulting in data leakage.

Conceptual Example Code

Below is a conceptual example demonstrating how an attacker might craft a malicious file to exploit this vulnerability:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#define BUFFER_SIZE 100
int main() {
char buffer[BUFFER_SIZE];
FILE *malicious_file;
malicious_file = fopen("malicious_file.icml", "r");
if (malicious_file == NULL) {
printf("Could not open file\n");
return 1;
}
fread(buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, 1, malicious_file);
buffer[BUFFER_SIZE - 1] = '\0';
fclose(malicious_file);
}

In the above example, the buffer size is defined as 100 bytes. If the content of the `malicious_file.icml` is larger than 100 bytes, it will overflow the buffer and corrupt the heap memory, possibly leading to arbitrary code execution.
Please note that this is a simplified and conceptual example. Actual exploits would be more complex and require a deeper understanding of the software’s internal workings.