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CVE-2025-54223: Use After Free Vulnerability in InCopy Leading to Arbitrary Code Execution

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Overview

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures system has identified a significant vulnerability, designated CVE-2025-54223, existing in InCopy versions 20.4, 19.5.4, and earlier. This vulnerability is notably severe due to its potential to enable an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. The implication of this is that the vulnerability could be exploited to take control of an affected system or to exfiltrate sensitive data. It is crucial for organizations and individuals utilizing InCopy to be aware of this threat and to take the necessary steps to mitigate it.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-54223
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

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Product | Affected Versions

InCopy | 20.4 and earlier
InCopy | 19.5.4 and earlier

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability, known as a Use After Free vulnerability, exploits a specific type of programming error where the software uses memory space after it has been freed or de-allocated. This can lead to a variety of problematic outcomes including crashing the program, producing incorrect results, or, in this case, allowing a malicious actor to insert and execute arbitrary code.

Conceptual Example Code

Below is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited. In this example, a malicious payload is embedded within a document file that a user is tricked into opening:

POST /openDocument HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerableInCopy.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "document": {
"header": "normal_header_data",
"body": "normal_body_data",
"footer": "normal_footer_data",
"malicious_payload": "code_to_be_executed_after_free()"
}
}

In the above HTTP request, the malicious payload (“code_to_be_executed_after_free()”) is placed within the document object. When the document is opened in a vulnerable version of InCopy, the payload gets executed after the memory containing the document has been freed, leading to arbitrary code execution.

Mitigation Guidance

Users are advised to apply the vendor patch as soon as possible to mitigate the vulnerability. As a temporary measure, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used to monitor network traffic and alert or block suspicious activities.

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Disclaimer:

The information and code presented in this article are provided for educational and defensive cybersecurity purposes only. Any conceptual or pseudocode examples are simplified representations intended to raise awareness and promote secure development and system configuration practices.

Do not use this information to attempt unauthorized access or exploit vulnerabilities on systems that you do not own or have explicit permission to test.

Ameeba and its authors do not endorse or condone malicious behavior and are not responsible for misuse of the content. Always follow ethical hacking guidelines, responsible disclosure practices, and local laws.

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