CVE-2024-7992 is a high-severity stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-121) affecting Autodesk AutoCAD versions 2022 through 2025. The vulnerability arises when AutoCAD or certain AutoCAD-based products parse a specially crafted DWG file. Due to improper bounds checking during the parsing process, an attacker can cause a stack overflow, which may lead to a program crash, unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, or arbitrary code execution within the context of the AutoCAD process. Exploitation requires the victim to open or process a malicious DWG file, which implies user interaction is necessary. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 reflects a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity and no privileges required, but user interaction is needed. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's nature and the widespread use of AutoCAD in engineering, architecture, and design make it a significant risk. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for organizations to implement interim mitigations and monitoring.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a critical risk particularly to sectors heavily reliant on AutoCAD for design and engineering workflows, such as manufacturing, construction, automotive, aerospace, and infrastructure development. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to proprietary design data, intellectual property theft, disruption of critical design processes, and potential deployment of malware or ransomware through arbitrary code execution. The confidentiality breach could expose sensitive project details or client information, while integrity compromise could result in corrupted design files, causing downstream operational failures or safety issues. Availability impacts could halt design operations, leading to project delays and financial losses. Given the prevalence of AutoCAD in European industries and the interconnected nature of supply chains, the vulnerability could have cascading effects beyond the initially compromised organization.

1. Immediately restrict the handling of DWG files from untrusted or unknown sources, implementing strict file validation and sandboxing where possible. 2. Employ network segmentation and application whitelisting to limit AutoCAD's ability to communicate externally or execute unauthorized code. 3. Monitor AutoCAD processes for anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unexpected crashes or unusual memory usage. 4. Educate users on the risks of opening DWG files from unverified sources and enforce policies for secure file sharing. 5. Coordinate with Autodesk for timely patch deployment once available; meanwhile, consider using alternative software or versions not affected if feasible. 6. Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting exploitation patterns related to stack overflows and code execution. 7. Regularly back up critical design files and maintain version control to enable recovery in case of file corruption or ransomware attacks.