CVE-2025-1649 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Autodesk AutoCAD versions 2022 through 2025. The flaw stems from the use of an uninitialized variable (CWE-457) when parsing CATPRODUCT files, which are typically associated with product assembly data. An attacker can craft a malicious CATPRODUCT file that triggers this vulnerability during processing by AutoCAD. The uninitialized variable usage can lead to undefined behavior, enabling an attacker to cause a denial of service (application crash), leak sensitive information from memory, or execute arbitrary code within the context of the AutoCAD process. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 reflects the significant impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with the attack vector being local (AV:L), requiring low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), but user interaction (UI:R). This means an attacker must convince a user to open or process the malicious file locally. Exploitation could allow an adversary to gain code execution capabilities, potentially leading to full system compromise depending on the privileges of the AutoCAD process. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that organizations should prioritize monitoring and mitigation efforts. The vulnerability is particularly critical because AutoCAD is widely used in engineering, architecture, and manufacturing sectors, where sensitive intellectual property and design data are handled.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for industries relying heavily on AutoCAD for design and manufacturing workflows, such as automotive, aerospace, construction, and infrastructure. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of proprietary designs, disruption of critical engineering processes due to application crashes, or even persistent compromise if arbitrary code execution is achieved. This could result in intellectual property theft, operational downtime, and potential safety risks if compromised designs are altered maliciously. Given the local attack vector requiring user interaction, phishing or social engineering campaigns targeting employees to open malicious CATPRODUCT files could be a realistic threat vector. The impact is amplified in collaborative environments where files are frequently exchanged across teams and partners, increasing the likelihood of exposure to crafted malicious files.

European organizations should implement a multi-layered mitigation approach: 1) Educate users to be cautious when opening CATPRODUCT files, especially from untrusted or unexpected sources, emphasizing the risk of social engineering. 2) Employ strict file validation and scanning on all incoming design files using advanced endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting malformed or suspicious CAD files. 3) Restrict AutoCAD usage to trusted networks and limit the ability to open files from external sources unless verified. 4) Monitor AutoCAD application behavior for anomalies such as unexpected crashes or unusual process activity that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5) Maintain strict privilege separation by running AutoCAD with the least privileges necessary to limit the impact of potential code execution. 6) Stay alert for official patches or updates from Autodesk and apply them promptly once available. 7) Consider implementing application whitelisting and sandboxing for AutoCAD processes to contain potential exploits. 8) Coordinate with IT security teams to integrate threat intelligence feeds that might report emerging exploits related to this vulnerability.