AutoCAD, Advance Steel and Civil 3D: Out-of-bounds Write
CVE-2023-41140 is a high-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in AutoCAD, Advance Steel and Civil 3D from Autodesk, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected AutoCAD, Advance Steel and Civil 3D versions: 2024, 2023. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.27% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Autocad to 2024.1 or 2023.1.4 or 2024.1.1, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Autocad Advance Steel to 2023.1.4 or 2024.1.1, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Autocad Architecture to 2023.1.4 or 2024.1.1, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on autodesk.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autodesk | AutoCAD, Advance Steel and Civil 3D | 2024, 2023 | Not stated |
| Autodesk | Autocad | before 2024.1; 2023.0.0 up to, but not including, 2023.1.4; 2024.0.0 up to, but not including, 2024.1.1 | 2024.1, 2023.1.4, 2024.1.1 |
| Autodesk | Autocad Advance Steel | before 2023.1.4; 2024.0.0 up to, but not including, 2024.1.1 | 2023.1.4, 2024.1.1 |
| Autodesk | Autocad Architecture | before 2023.1.4; 2024.0.0 up to, but not including, 2024.1.1 | 2023.1.4, 2024.1.1 |
| Autodesk | Autocad Civil 3d | before 2023.1.4; 2024.0.0 up to, but not including, 2024.1.1 | 2023.1.4, 2024.1.1 |
| Autodesk | Autocad Electrical | before 2023.1.4; 2024.0.0 up to, but not including, 2024.1.1 | 2023.1.4, 2024.1.1 |
| Autodesk | Autocad Lt | before 2023.1.4; before 2024.1; 2024.0.0 up to, but not including, 2024.1.1 | 2023.1.4, 2024.1, 2024.1.1 |
| Autodesk | Autocad Map 3d | before 2023.1.4; 2024.0.0 up to, but not including, 2024.1.1 | 2023.1.4, 2024.1.1 |
| Autodesk | Autocad Mechanical | before 2023.1.4; 2024.0.0 up to, but not including, 2024.1.1 | 2023.1.4, 2024.1.1 |
| Autodesk | Autocad Mep | before 2023.1.4; 2024.0.0 up to, but not including, 2024.1.1 | 2023.1.4, 2024.1.1 |
| Autodesk | Autocad Plant 3d | before 2023.1.4; 2024.0.0 up to, but not including, 2024.1.1 | 2023.1.4, 2024.1.1 |
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
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
Official description
A maliciously crafted PRT file when parsed through Autodesk AutoCAD 2024 and 2023 can be used to cause a Heap-Based Buffer Overflow. A malicious actor can leverage this vulnerability to cause a crash, read sensitive data, or execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Write
The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega, and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.
- Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other vulnerabilities in AutoCAD, Advance Steel and Civil 3D
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
Recent Out-of-bounds Write vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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