CVE-2022-40648
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 before the start of an allocated data structure. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-17563.
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 confidenceThis is a buffer underwrite vulnerability in Ansys SpaceClaim 2022 R1's X_B file parser. The lack of proper validation of user-supplied data during X_B file parsing allows an attacker to write data before the start of an allocated buffer, enabling arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process. Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious X_B 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 if Ansys SpaceClaim is installedCheck for the presence of Ansys SpaceClaim in the program files directory (typically C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\SpaceClaim) or look for SpaceClaim in the Windows Installed Programs list via Control Panel > Programs and FeaturesAffected if Ansys SpaceClaim is found on the system
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Determine the installed version of Ansys SpaceClaimLocate the SpaceClaim installation folder and check the version information. The version can typically be found in the file properties of the main executable (SpaceClaim.exe) or in the Add/Remove Programs entryAffected if The version displayed is 2022 R1 or falls within the 2022 release line
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Confirm the specific 2022 release versionRight-click on SpaceClaim.exe, select Properties, then navigate to the Details tab to view the Product Version and File Version fields. Compare against the affected version rangeAffected if The product version is exactly 2022 R1 or another 2022 version that falls within the affected range
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Verify X_B file handling capability existsCheck if the SpaceClaim installation includes the file format handlers. X_B files are a native CAD format. Attempt to locate any DLLs related to file parsing within the SpaceClaim installation directory or check if SpaceClaim can associate with .x_b file extensionsAffected if The X_B file parser component is present and SpaceClaim can open .x_b files
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Inspect recent file access for X_B files (optional forensic check)Review Windows Event Logs, prefetch files, or recent documents lists for evidence of X_B file access. Check the %APPDATA%\Ansys\SpaceClaim\RecentFiles folder for recently opened .x_b filesAffected if X_B files have been recently opened, indicating the vulnerable parser has been used
The environment is affected if Ansys SpaceClaim version 2022 R1 is installed and the X_B file parser component is present and accessible for processing 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.
From vendor dataApply the vendor patch from Ansys when available, and avoid opening untrusted X_B files from unknown or untrusted sources until the patch is applied.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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-2022-40648 — 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-2022-40648 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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