CVE-2025-5040 is a high-severity heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified in Autodesk Revit versions 2023 through 2026. This vulnerability arises when the software parses a maliciously crafted RTE file, a file format used within Revit for rendering or related data. The flaw is classified under CWE-122, indicating that improper handling of memory buffers on the heap can lead to overflow conditions. Exploitation of this vulnerability allows an attacker to cause a denial of service (application crash), unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, or arbitrary code execution within the context of the Revit process. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 reflects a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with an attack vector requiring local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but user interaction is necessary (UI:R). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), meaning the vulnerability affects only the vulnerable component. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the potential for exploitation exists given the ability to execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability is particularly critical because Revit is widely used in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries for Building Information Modeling (BIM), and compromised systems could lead to intellectual property theft or sabotage of design data. No patches have been linked yet, indicating that affected organizations should monitor Autodesk advisories closely for updates.

For European organizations, especially those in the AEC sector, this vulnerability poses significant risks. Revit is extensively used across Europe for designing infrastructure, commercial, and residential projects. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive design files, intellectual property theft, or disruption of project workflows through application crashes or malware execution. This could result in financial losses, reputational damage, and delays in critical infrastructure projects. Additionally, compromised Revit instances could serve as footholds for lateral movement within corporate networks, potentially exposing other sensitive systems. Given the high confidentiality and integrity impact, organizations handling government contracts or critical infrastructure projects face heightened risks. The requirement for local access and user interaction somewhat limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments where users may open untrusted files received via email or shared storage.

European organizations should implement several targeted mitigation strategies: 1) Restrict and monitor the sources of RTE files, enforcing strict validation and scanning of files before opening them in Revit. 2) Educate users on the risks of opening files from untrusted sources and implement policies to reduce user interaction with potentially malicious files. 3) Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to limit the impact of potential code execution within Revit. 4) Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor for anomalous behaviors indicative of exploitation attempts. 5) Maintain strict access controls and network segmentation to limit local access to systems running Revit. 6) Regularly check Autodesk’s security advisories for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 7) Consider disabling or restricting features that automatically parse RTE files if feasible within operational constraints.