CVE-2025-1277: Memory Corruption Vulnerability in Autodesk Applications through Malicious PDF Files

Overview

CVE-2025-1277 is a serious security vulnerability that has been identified in Autodesk applications. Any organization or individual using Autodesk software to process PDF files may be at risk. The vulnerability is of significant concern as it allows a malicious actor to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage.
This vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS Severity Score of 7.8, indicating its high severity. As such, it is of crucial importance that organizations and individuals take steps to mitigate this risk before it can be exploited.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-1277
Severity: High (7.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Autodesk AutoCAD | All versions up to the latest
Autodesk Revit | All versions up to the latest

How the Exploit Works

CVE-2025-1277 exploit involves crafting a malicious PDF file, which when processed or opened using Autodesk applications, causes a memory corruption vulnerability within the software. This corruption can then be leveraged by a malicious actor to execute arbitrary code within the current process. This means that if a user unknowingly opens a malicious PDF file using an Autodesk application, the attacker can gain control over the application and potentially the entire system.

Conceptual Example Code

The vulnerability might be exploited using a malicious PDF file. The content of such a file might incorporate code similar to the following pseudocode:

class MaliciousPDF:
def __init__(self):
self.payload = bytearray(b'\x00' * 1024)  # Large buffer to trigger overflow
def add_payload(self, payload):
self.payload.extend(payload)  # Adds malicious payload to the PDF file
def save(self, filename):
with open(filename, 'wb') as f:
f.write(self.payload)  # Writes the payload to a file
malicious_pdf = MaliciousPDF()
malicious_pdf.add_payload(b'\xDE\xAD\xBE\xEF')  # Some malicious payload
malicious_pdf.save('malicious.pdf')

This pseudocode is a simplified representation of the process, but it gives an idea of how the vulnerability might be exploited in practice. The attacker creates a malicious PDF file with a large buffer to trigger an overflow, then adds their arbitrary code (payload) to the file. The payload is subsequently executed when the file is opened with an Autodesk application, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.

Mitigation Guidance

Users and organizations using Autodesk applications are advised to apply the vendor patch once it becomes available. In the meantime, the use of Web Application Firewalls (WAF) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation against this vulnerability. Regularly updating and patching all software, as well as educating users on the dangers of opening suspicious files, can also help to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.