CVE-2022-40645
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 initialization of a pointer prior to accessing it. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-17540.
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 confidenceThis is a pointer initialization vulnerability in Ansys SpaceClaim 2022 R1's X_B file parser. The lack of proper initialization of a pointer prior to accessing it allows arbitrary code execution when a user opens a maliciously crafted X_B file. User interaction is required (opening a 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= 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.
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Verify Ansys SpaceClaim installationCheck if Ansys SpaceClaim is installed on the system by searching for the application in installed programs (Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or using 'Get-ItemProperty' in PowerShell for 64-bit applications under HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\)Affected if Ansys SpaceClaim is installed and the version shows 2022 (any sub-version of 2022 R1)
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Confirm installed version is 2022Locate the installed SpaceClaim version by checking the application executable properties (right-click on SpaceClaim.exe > Properties > Details tab) or by running the application and checking Help > About SpaceClaimAffected if The version is listed as 2022 (including 2022 R1, 2022 R2, or any 2022.x release)
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Identify X_B file handling capabilityCheck if the application has file associations for .X_B files by examining Windows registry keys under HKCR\.x_b or by attempting to open an X_B file with SpaceClaim to see if it processes the formatAffected if SpaceClaim can open or parse X_B files - the X_B file parser is present and functional
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Check for recent file opening activityReview Windows event logs (Security, Application) or SpaceClaim recent files list for any recently opened .X_B files, particularly from untrusted or unknown sourcesAffected if Any X_B files have been opened in SpaceClaim 2022, especially files from untrusted or unknown origins
A user is affected if Ansys SpaceClaim version 2022 is installed and the X_B file parser can be triggered by opening a maliciously crafted X_B file.
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 dataAvoid opening X_B files from untrusted or unknown sources. Apply vendor patches when available. Consider application sandboxing or restricting file access permissions as compensating controls.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-40645 — 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-2022-40645 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
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