CVE-2022-38404
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 · uneditedAdobe InCopy version 17.3 (and earlier) and 16.4.2 (and earlier) are affected by a Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.
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 confidenceAdobe InCopy versions 17.3 and earlier as well as 16.4.2 and earlier contain a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user, but requires the victim to open a specially crafted malicious file.
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>= 16.0, <= 16.4.2>= 17.0, <= 17.3CVSS 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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Determine installed Adobe InCopy versionOn Windows: Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, locate Adobe InCopy and note the version in the 'Version' column. On macOS: Open Finder > Applications, right-click Adobe InCopy, select 'Get Info' and check the Version field.Affected if Version falls within 16.0 to 16.4.2 or 17.0 to 17.3
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Confirm exact version number via executableNavigate to the InCopy installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InCopy 2022 or C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InCopy 2023 on Windows, or /Applications/Adobe InCopy 2022/2023 on macOS). Right-click the InCopy executable, select Properties, and verify the File Version on the Details tab.Affected if File version shows 16.x within 16.0-16.4.2 range or 17.x within 17.0-17.3 range
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Check if InCopy is actively used and handles external filesReview recent file access logs, check the application's recent files list (File > Open Recent), or interview users to determine if InCopy is used to open files from external or untrusted sources.Affected if Users open InCopy files from untrusted or unknown sources, which is required for exploitation
A system is affected if Adobe InCopy version 16.0-16.4.2 or 17.0-17.3 is installed AND the user opens specially crafted malicious files.
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 · scopedUpdate Adobe InCopy to the latest version provided by Adobe to obtain the security patch. Avoid opening files from untrusted or unknown sources.
Adobe InCopy 17.4 or later (16.x users: 16.4.3 or later)
- Open Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application
- Navigate to the 'Apps' section
- Find Adobe InCopy in the list of installed apps
- Click on the 'Update' button next to InCopy if an update is available
- Alternatively, visit helpx.adobe.com/incopy and download the latest version
- Launch Adobe InCopy after updating to verify the version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-38404 — 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-2022-38404 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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- 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