CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2022-28824NVD status: Modified

FrameMaker: Use After Free

CVE-2022-28824 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in FrameMaker from Adobe, with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected FrameMaker versions: 2019u8 and earlier; 2020u4 and earlier. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 2.83% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 87% of scored CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Check which version of FrameMaker you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Read the advisory on helpx.adobe.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
AdobeFrameMaker2019u8 and earlier; 2020u4 and earlierNot stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Access vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network.
Access complexity
MediumSome conditions must be met.
Authentication
NoneNo login is needed.
Confidentiality
CompleteAll data can be read.
Integrity
CompleteAny data can be modified.
Availability
CompleteThe system can be shut down completely.

Vector: AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.07.8HighCNA (adobe.com)
CVSS 2.09.3HighNVD

Official description

Adobe Framemaker versions 2029u8 (and earlier) and 2020u4 (and earlier) are affected by a Use-after-free vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Use After Free

The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
  • When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.

More Use After Free vulnerabilities (CWE-416)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in FrameMaker

All FrameMaker vulnerabilities

Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities

Spotted an error? Tell us.