CVE-2022-41308 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability identified in the Subassembly Composer application. The vulnerability arises when the application processes a maliciously crafted PKT file, leading to a read access violation that causes memory corruption. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Read). While the immediate effect is memory corruption, the vulnerability can be leveraged in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to achieve arbitrary code execution within the context of the running process. The affected versions include releases from 2021, 2022, and 2023. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high severity, with the vector indicating that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), privileges required (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). The vulnerability was published on October 14, 2022, and assigned by Autodesk, indicating the vendor or project associated with the affected software. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or mitigation links are provided in the source data. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an attacker to have local access and some level of privileges on the system, but does not require user interaction, making it a significant risk in environments where the Subassembly Composer is used and where local users or processes could supply malicious PKT files. The potential for code execution means that an attacker could escalate privileges, execute arbitrary commands, or disrupt system operations if combined with other vulnerabilities or attack vectors.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-41308 can be substantial, especially in sectors relying on the Subassembly Composer application for critical workflows. The vulnerability's ability to cause memory corruption and potentially enable code execution threatens confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. Organizations in engineering, manufacturing, or design industries that utilize this software may face risks of unauthorized access, data breaches, or operational disruptions. Given the requirement for local access and privileges, insider threats or compromised internal accounts could exploit this vulnerability to escalate attacks. The high impact on system integrity and availability could lead to downtime or loss of sensitive intellectual property. Additionally, the absence of known public exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but also means that organizations should prioritize patching or compensating controls to prevent future exploitation. The vulnerability's presence in multiple recent versions (2021-2023) suggests a broad potential exposure across organizations that have not updated or mitigated the risk.

Given the lack of publicly available patches or updates in the provided data, European organizations should take immediate steps to mitigate risk. First, restrict local access to systems running Subassembly Composer to trusted users only, enforcing strict access controls and monitoring for suspicious activity. Implement application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Conduct thorough audits of user privileges and reduce them to the minimum necessary to operate the software. If possible, isolate systems running Subassembly Composer from less trusted network segments to limit exposure. Organizations should also engage with the software vendor or Autodesk to obtain official patches or updates addressing this vulnerability. In parallel, implement network segmentation and monitor for unusual file inputs, particularly PKT files, to detect attempts to supply malicious payloads. Regularly update and patch all related software components to reduce the risk of chained exploits. Finally, educate users about the risks of executing or opening untrusted files locally, even if user interaction is not required for exploitation, to reduce the attack surface.