dbcve.org
SpaceclaimApplication · Ansys

CVE-2022-40650

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-09-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
This 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-17838.

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 Ansys SpaceClaim 2022 R1 when parsing X_B files. The application fails to properly validate user-supplied data during X_B file parsing, allowing an attacker to write past the end of an allocated data structure. This can be exploited to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process by tricking a user into opening a malicious X_B file.

MitigationUsers should not open X_B files from untrusted sources. Apply vendor patches when available. Consider implementing file scanning or sandboxing for untrusted files until patches are applied.

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
SpaceclaimApplication
Affected:= 2022

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. Confirm Ansys SpaceClaim 2022 is installed
    Open Windows Settings > Apps > Apps & features, or use 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' in PowerShell to list installed software and check for Ansys SpaceClaim.
    Affected if Ansys SpaceClaim version 2022 is listed in installed programs.
  2. Verify the exact installed version
    Check the installed version details for Ansys SpaceClaim. Look for version 2022 R1 specifically, as this is the affected release. Compare your version number to the affected range.
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 2022 R1 or falls within the = 2022 range.
  3. Identify X_B file associations
    Check if .x_b file extension is associated with Ansys SpaceClaim. In Windows, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Choose default apps by file type, or inspect registry keys under HKCR\.x_b to see the associated application.
    Affected if X_B files are associated with Ansys SpaceClaim, meaning the application will attempt to parse these files.
  4. Locate X_B files on the system
    Use File Explorer search or run 'Get-ChildItem -Path C:\ -Recurse -Filter *.x_b -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue' in PowerShell to find X_B files. Check download folders, desktop, and recent documents.
    Affected if X_B files exist on the system, particularly from untrusted or unknown sources.

You are affected if Ansys SpaceClaim version 2022 is installed and your system handles or contains X_B files that could be maliciously crafted.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Users should not open X_B files from untrusted sources. Apply vendor patches when available. Consider implementing file scanning or sandboxing for untrusted files until patches are applied.

Fix this in Spaceclaim Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,600
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,960.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-40650 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2022-40650 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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.

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