dbcve.org
AutocadApplication · Autodesk

CVE-2022-33885

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-10-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2022.1.3 / 2023.1.1 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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 · unedited
A maliciously crafted X_B, CATIA, and PDF file when parsed through Autodesk AutoCAD 2023 and 2022 can be used to write beyond the allocated buffer. This vulnerability can lead to arbitrary code execution.

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 · high confidence

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in AutoCAD 2022 and 2023 when parsing maliciously crafted X_B, CATIA, or PDF files. The vulnerability allows writing beyond the bounds of an allocated buffer during file parsing, which can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution.

MitigationApply the vendor security patch from Autodesk for AutoCAD 2022 and 2023. Avoid opening untrusted X_B, CATIA, or PDF files from unknown sources.

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
AutocadApplication
Affected:>= 2022, < 2022.1.3>= 2023, < 2023.1.1
Autocad Advance SteelApplication
Affected:>= 2022, < 2022.1.3>= 2023, < 2023.1.1
Autocad ArchitectureApplication
Affected:>= 2022, < 2022.1.3>= 2023, < 2023.1.1
Autocad Civil 3dApplication
Affected:>= 2022, < 2022.1.3>= 2023, < 2023.1.1
Autocad ElectricalApplication
Affected:>= 2022, < 2022.1.3>= 2023, < 2023.1.1
Autocad LtApplication
Affected:>= 2022, < 2022.1.3>= 2023, < 2023.1.1
Autocad Map 3dApplication
Affected:>= 2022, < 2022.1.3>= 2023, < 2023.1.1
Autocad MechanicalApplication
Affected:>= 2022, < 2022.1.3>= 2023, < 2023.1.1

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Autodesk product and version
    Open Windows Registry and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD or check the program's executable properties (right-click the acad.exe file, select Properties, view Version tab)
    Affected if The installed product is one of: AutoCAD, AutoCAD Advance Steel, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD Electrical, AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD Map 3D, or AutoCAD Mechanical, AND the version falls within >= 2022 but < 2022.1.3 OR >= 2023 but < 2023.1.1
  2. Confirm the vulnerable file format handlers exist
    Open AutoCAD and check if the following import filters are available: X_B (for Xref or external reference), CATIA (if the CATIA connector is installed), or PDF import capability (check OPTIONS > Files > Support File Search Path or plug-ins loaded)
    Affected if Any of these file format handlers (X_B, CATIA, or PDF import) are present in the installation, indicating the attack surface exists
  3. Verify file parsing occurs on user files
    Search the system for recent .X_B, .CATIA, .CATPart, .CATProduct, or .PDF files that may have been opened or imported into AutoCAD, or check AutoCAD's recent documents/files list
    Affected if Users routinely import or open these file types in AutoCAD, meaning the vulnerable parsing code is actually exercised

You are affected if you have any of the listed Autodesk AutoCAD products installed with version 2022.x through 2022.1.2 or 2023.x through 2023.1.0 AND users open or import X_B, CATIA, or PDF files in that software.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2022.1.3 / 2023.1.1 or later
Fixed in 2022.1.32023.1.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor security patch from Autodesk for AutoCAD 2022 and 2023. Avoid opening untrusted X_B, CATIA, or PDF files from unknown sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

AutoCAD 2022.1.3 or later; AutoCAD 2023.1.1 or later (and corresponding versions for AutoCAD-based products)

  1. Check current AutoCAD version: Launch AutoCAD and go to Help > About Autodesk AutoCAD > Product Information to confirm the installed version
  2. Navigate to the official Autodesk support website or use the Autodesk Desktop App to check for updates
  3. Download and install AutoCAD 2022.1.3 or later (for 2022 product line) OR AutoCAD 2023.1.1 or later (for 2023 product line)
  4. Verify the update was successful by checking the version again after installation
  5. Repeat the update process for any other affected AutoCAD-based products (Advance Steel, Architecture, Civil 3D, Electrical, LT, Map 3D, Mechanical) using their respective version-specific updates

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Autocad Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-33885 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data