CVE-2022-40644
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 · uneditedThis vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Ansys SpaceClaim 2022 R1. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of X_B files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated data structure. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-17408.
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 confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability in Ansys SpaceClaim 2022 R1 allows remote code execution through malicious X_B files. The flaw exists in the X_B file parser, which lacks proper validation of user-supplied data, permitting writes beyond allocated buffer boundaries.
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= 2022CVSS 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.
-
Verify Ansys SpaceClaim installationCheck the system for Ansys SpaceClaim installation. Look in Program Files for 'Ansys SpaceClaim' folder, or check Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\ANSYS, Inc.\SpaceClaim for the installed version.Affected if Ansys SpaceClaim 2022 is installed on the system
-
Confirm the exact version numberLocate the version information: right-click the SpaceClaim executable, select Properties, then Details; or check the About section within the SpaceClaim application. Confirm the version matches '2022 R1' or any 2022 release.Affected if The installed version is exactly 2022 (any 2022 release)
-
Identify X_B file handlingSearch the system for .X_B file associations or recent X_B file openings. Check file associations in Windows (Default Apps > Choose default apps by file type) to see if SpaceClaim is set to open .X_B files.Affected if SpaceClaim is configured to handle or has recently opened .X_B files
-
Inspect X_B file processing behaviorMonitor SpaceClaim process when opening .X_B files using tools like Process Monitor or check recent file access history in Windows: %APPDATA%\Ansys\SpaceClaim\SCDocManager or recent documents list.Affected if The environment involves opening or processing untrusted .X_B files through SpaceClaim
A user is affected if Ansys SpaceClaim version 2022 is installed AND the system processes or opens .X_B files, as the vulnerability resides specifically in the X_B file parser component.
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.
From vendor dataApply the vendor patch when available. Until then, enforce strict policies against opening untrusted X_B files and consider running SpaceClaim in least-privilege environments to limit impact.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,864.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-40644 — 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-2022-40644 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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