CVE-2022-42935 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability affecting multiple legacy versions of Autodesk Design Review, specifically versions 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, and 2018. The vulnerability arises when the application processes maliciously crafted .dwf or .pct files. These specially crafted files can trigger a write access violation leading to memory corruption. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), which typically allows attackers to overwrite memory regions, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution. Although this vulnerability alone may not directly lead to code execution, it can be combined with other vulnerabilities to escalate the attack, enabling execution of arbitrary code within the context of the DesignReview.exe process. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high severity, with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring low privileges (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 does not currently have known exploits in the wild, but the lack of available patches increases risk for organizations continuing to use these older versions. Autodesk Design Review is a specialized tool used primarily for viewing and annotating design files, often in engineering, architecture, and manufacturing sectors. The affected versions are relatively old, which suggests that organizations still using them may be running legacy systems or have not migrated to newer software versions. The vulnerability's exploitation requires local access and some privileges, but no user interaction, making it a significant risk in environments where untrusted files could be introduced or where insider threats exist.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-42935 can be substantial, especially in industries relying heavily on Autodesk Design Review for design collaboration, such as automotive, aerospace, construction, and manufacturing sectors. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive design data (confidentiality impact), unauthorized modification or destruction of design files (integrity impact), and disruption of design review workflows (availability impact). This could result in intellectual property theft, loss of competitive advantage, project delays, and financial losses. Since the vulnerability requires local access and privileges, the risk is heightened in environments where endpoint security is weak or where users might open untrusted files. Additionally, the potential for code execution could allow attackers to pivot within the network, escalate privileges, or deploy malware, further compromising organizational security. Given the high confidentiality and integrity impacts, organizations handling sensitive or regulated design data must treat this vulnerability seriously to prevent potential data breaches or operational disruptions.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on upgrading Autodesk Design Review to the latest supported version or alternative software that does not contain this vulnerability, as no official patches are currently available for the affected versions. 2. Implement strict file validation and filtering controls to prevent untrusted or suspicious .dwf and .pct files from being opened within the Design Review environment. This can be enforced through endpoint security solutions or network-level file inspection. 3. Enforce the principle of least privilege by restricting user permissions to only those necessary for their role, minimizing the risk that a low-privilege user can exploit this vulnerability. 4. Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to isolate DesignReview.exe and limit the impact of potential exploitation. 5. Conduct regular security awareness training to educate users about the risks of opening files from untrusted sources. 6. Monitor endpoint and network logs for unusual activity related to DesignReview.exe, such as unexpected crashes or memory access violations, which could indicate exploitation attempts. 7. Where feasible, implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement if a compromise occurs. 8. Maintain up-to-date backups of critical design files to ensure recovery in case of data corruption or ransomware attacks stemming from exploitation.