CVE-2022-27527
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA Memory Corruption vulnerability may lead to code execution through maliciously crafted DLL files. It was fixed in PDFTron earlier than 9.0.7 version in Autodesk Navisworks 2022, and 2020.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in PDFTron allows code execution via maliciously crafted DLL files. The vulnerability affects PDFTron versions earlier than 9.0.7 in Autodesk Navisworks 2020 and 2022. Successful exploitation enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code by supplying a specially crafted DLL that gets loaded by the application.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 2019, < 2019.6>= 2020, < 2020.4>= 2021, < 2021.3>= 2022, < 2022.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Autodesk Navisworks versionCheck the program version via Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or locate the executable (typically in C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 20XX\) and view its properties, or run: Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*' | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -like '*Navisworks*'} | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersionAffected if The installed version falls within these ranges: >= 2019 and < 2019.6, >= 2020 and < 2020.4, >= 2021 and < 2021.3, or >= 2022 and < 2022.2
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Locate PDFTron component versionSearch for PDFTron DLL files in the Navisworks installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 20XX\). Common DLL names include PDFNet.dll, PDFTron.Core.dll, or similar. Right-click the DLL and select Properties > Details to view the File Version.Affected if PDFTron version is earlier than 9.0.7 (the DLL file version shows a number below 9.0.7)
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Verify DLL search order vulnerabilityExamine the application behavior or environment for DLL loading from untrusted paths. Check if the Navisworks installation directory or working directories contain writable locations where an attacker could place a malicious DLL. Inspect the application manifest or configuration for Safe DLL Search Mode settings.Affected if DLL files can be loaded from the application directory, current working directory, or other untrusted paths without proper path restrictions
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Confirm vulnerable PDFTron usageDetermine if the PDFTron functionality is actually used in the environment. Check if users routinely open PDF files through Navisworks, or if PDF import/export features are enabled. Review any logs or usage patterns indicating PDF file processing.Affected if PDFTron is actively used and the PDFTron component version is vulnerable (earlier than 9.0.7)
A user is affected if Autodesk Navisworks is installed with a version falling in the vulnerable ranges AND the bundled PDFTron component is earlier than version 9.0.7, allowing potential loading of malicious DLLs.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped2019.62020.42021.3
Update PDFTron to version 9.0.7 or later in affected Autodesk Navisworks installations. Additionally, enforce secure DLL loading practices by specifying safe search paths and avoiding loading DLLs from untrusted locations.
Navisworks 2019.6+ / 2020.4+ / 2021.3+ / 2022.2+ (depending on your major release)
- Identify the currently installed Autodesk Navisworks version (Help > About Autodesk Navisworks)
- For Navisworks 2019 users: Upgrade to version 2019.6 or later
- For Navisworks 2020 users: Upgrade to version 2020.4 or later (includes PDFTron 9.0.7 or later)
- For Navisworks 2021 users: Upgrade to version 2021.3 or later
- For Navisworks 2022 users: Upgrade to version 2022.2 or later (includes PDFTron 9.0.7 or later)
- Download the appropriate update from the Autodesk Account portal or Autodesk Desktop App
- Run the installer with administrator privileges and complete the installation
- Restart Navisworks and verify the version reflects the patched release
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-27527 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-27527 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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