CVE-2025-1649 is a vulnerability identified in Autodesk AutoCAD versions 2022 through 2025, caused by the use of an uninitialized variable (CWE-457) when parsing CATPRODUCT files. A CATPRODUCT file is typically associated with product assembly data used in CAD environments. The vulnerability arises because AutoCAD improperly handles certain crafted CATPRODUCT files, leading to the use of variables that have not been initialized. This flaw can be exploited by a malicious actor who crafts a specially designed CATPRODUCT file and convinces a user to open or import it into AutoCAD. Exploitation can result in a range of impacts: causing the application to crash (denial of service), leaking sensitive information from memory, or executing arbitrary code within the context of the AutoCAD process. The arbitrary code execution capability is particularly concerning as it could allow an attacker to execute malicious payloads with the privileges of the user running AutoCAD. Since AutoCAD is widely used in engineering, architecture, and manufacturing sectors, this vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical design data and systems. Notably, no public exploits have been observed in the wild yet, and no patches have been released at the time of this analysis. The vulnerability does not require authentication but does require user interaction in the form of opening or importing the malicious CATPRODUCT file. The lack of a CVSS score necessitates an independent severity assessment based on the potential impact and exploitation complexity.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-1649 could be significant, especially for those in sectors heavily reliant on AutoCAD such as construction, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and infrastructure development. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of proprietary design data, intellectual property theft, disruption of engineering workflows through application crashes, and potentially full system compromise if arbitrary code execution is achieved. This could result in financial losses, reputational damage, and delays in critical projects. Given the collaborative nature of CAD work, a compromised system could also serve as a pivot point for lateral movement within corporate networks. Furthermore, organizations involved in critical infrastructure projects or defense-related engineering in Europe could face heightened risks due to the sensitivity of their data and the strategic importance of their operations. The absence of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk, but the medium severity rating and potential for code execution warrant proactive measures.

1. Implement strict file handling policies: Restrict the import and opening of CATPRODUCT files to trusted sources only. 2. Employ sandboxing or isolated environments for opening untrusted CAD files to contain potential exploitation. 3. Monitor and audit AutoCAD usage logs for unusual activity, such as unexpected file imports or crashes. 4. Maintain up-to-date backups of critical CAD projects to enable recovery in case of disruption. 5. Coordinate with Autodesk for timely patch deployment once available; consider enrolling in Autodesk’s security advisory channels for early notifications. 6. Educate users on the risks of opening files from unverified sources and enforce least privilege principles to limit the impact of potential code execution. 7. Utilize endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect anomalous behaviors associated with exploitation attempts, such as memory access violations or process injections. 8. Network segmentation to isolate systems running AutoCAD from sensitive parts of the corporate network can limit lateral movement.