CVE-2025-1428 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability (CWE-125) identified in Autodesk AutoCAD versions 2022 through 2025. The vulnerability arises when AutoCAD parses a specially crafted CATPART file, a file format used primarily for 3D part design and modeling. An attacker can exploit this flaw by supplying a malicious CATPART file to the target system running AutoCAD. The out-of-bounds read can lead to several adverse outcomes: it may cause the application to crash (denial of service), allow unauthorized reading of sensitive memory contents, or potentially enable arbitrary code execution within the context of the AutoCAD process. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered simply by opening or importing a malicious CATPART file, which may be delivered via email, file sharing, or compromised repositories. Although no public exploits are currently known, the vulnerability's presence in widely used versions of AutoCAD, a critical tool in engineering, architecture, and manufacturing sectors, underscores the risk. The lack of a published patch at this time increases exposure. The vulnerability does not require prior authentication but does require user interaction to open the malicious file. The technical root cause is improper bounds checking during file parsing, allowing memory access beyond allocated buffers, which can corrupt memory or leak sensitive data. This vulnerability is classified as medium severity by the vendor, but the potential for code execution elevates its risk profile depending on the attack context.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-1428 can be significant, especially in industries heavily reliant on AutoCAD for design and manufacturing, such as automotive, aerospace, construction, and industrial engineering. Successful exploitation could lead to operational disruptions due to application crashes, leakage of intellectual property or sensitive design data, and in worst cases, full system compromise if arbitrary code execution is achieved. This could result in loss of competitive advantage, regulatory compliance violations (e.g., GDPR if personal data is involved), and financial losses. Given AutoCAD's integration into critical infrastructure projects and manufacturing pipelines in Europe, the vulnerability could also affect supply chain integrity. The absence of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate it, as attackers often develop exploits rapidly after vulnerability disclosure. The need for user interaction (opening a malicious file) means that phishing or social engineering campaigns could be a likely attack vector. Organizations with lax file handling policies or insufficient endpoint protections are at higher risk.

1. Implement strict file handling policies: restrict the acceptance and opening of CATPART files from untrusted or unknown sources. 2. Employ sandboxing or isolated environments for opening CAD files, minimizing potential damage from exploitation. 3. Monitor and educate users about phishing and social engineering tactics that could deliver malicious CATPART files. 4. Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous AutoCAD process behavior or memory access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. 5. Regularly audit and update AutoCAD installations, applying patches as soon as Autodesk releases them for this vulnerability. 6. Consider network segmentation to isolate systems running AutoCAD from critical infrastructure and sensitive data repositories. 7. Implement application whitelisting and restrict execution privileges of AutoCAD processes to limit the impact of potential code execution. 8. Maintain comprehensive backups of design files and system states to enable recovery in case of disruption.