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AutocadApplication · Autodesk

CVE-2023-29073

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2023.1.4 / 2024.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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
A maliciously crafted MODEL file when parsed through Autodesk AutoCAD 2024 and 2023 can be used to cause a Heap-Based Buffer Overflow. A malicious actor can leverage this vulnerability to cause a crash, read sensitive data, or execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process.

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 confidence

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the MODEL file parser of Autodesk AutoCAD 2023 and 2024. When parsing a maliciously crafted MODEL file, the application fails to properly validate input buffer sizes, allowing an attacker to overflow heap allocations and potentially achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process.

MitigationUsers should avoid opening MODEL files from untrusted sources. Apply vendor patches when released. Consider implementing file type validation and sandboxing for AutoCAD processes as additional defensive layers.

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
AutocadApplication
Affected:< 2024.1>= 2023.0.0, < 2023.1.4>= 2024.0.0, < 2024.1.1
Autocad Advance SteelApplication
Affected:< 2023.1.4>= 2024.0.0, < 2024.1.1
Autocad ArchitectureApplication
Affected:< 2023.1.4>= 2024.0.0, < 2024.1.1
Autocad Civil 3dApplication
Affected:< 2023.1.4>= 2024.0.0, < 2024.1.1
Autocad ElectricalApplication
Affected:< 2023.1.4>= 2024.0.0, < 2024.1.1
Autocad LtApplication
Affected:< 2023.1.4< 2024.1>= 2024.0.0, < 2024.1.1
Autocad Map 3dApplication
Affected:< 2023.1.4>= 2024.0.0, < 2024.1.1
Autocad MechanicalApplication
Affected:< 2023.1.4>= 2024.0.0, < 2024.1.1

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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. Identify the installed AutoCAD product variant
    Open AutoCAD and go to Help > About, or check Add/Remove Programs, or inspect the program folder name in Program Files. Determine if it is AutoCAD, Advance Steel, Architecture, Civil 3D, Electrical, LT, Map 3D, or Mechanical.
    Affected if The product is any of these AutoCAD variants listed in the affected products.
  2. Determine the installed version number
    In AutoCAD, type 'VER' or 'ABOUT' at the command line, or check the program's properties in Windows Task Manager, or inspect the executable version info. Note the full version string (e.g., 2023.0.1, 2024.0.0).
    Affected if The version falls within < 2023.1.4 or >= 2023.0.0, or within >= 2024.0.0, < 2024.1.1.
  3. Compare version to affected ranges
    Match your identified version against the vulnerable ranges: 2023.0.0 through 2023.1.3 (any build below 2023.1.4), and 2024.0.0 through 2024.1.0 (any build below 2024.1.1).
    Affected if The installed version is 2023.0.0 <= version < 2023.1.4, OR 2024.0.0 <= version < 2024.1.1.
  4. Verify MODEL file functionality is present
    Check if the application can import, open, or process .MODEL files. Look for MODEL file format support in the application's import options or file type associations.
    Affected if The MODEL file parser feature is present and accessible in the installed version.

You are affected if you have any AutoCAD variant (AutoCAD, Advance Steel, Architecture, Civil 3D, Electrical, LT, Map 3D, Mechanical) installed with version 2023.0.0 to 2023.1.3 or 2024.0.0 to 2024.1.0 and the MODEL file parser is functional.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2023.1.4 / 2024.1 / 2024.1.1 or later
Fixed in 2023.1.42024.12024.1.1
Interim mitigation

Users should avoid opening MODEL files from untrusted sources. Apply vendor patches when released. Consider implementing file type validation and sandboxing for AutoCAD processes as additional defensive layers.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to AutoCAD 2023.1.4 (or later 2023.x) and AutoCAD 2024.1.1 (or later 2024.x) depending on your product line - all variants (Architecture, Civil 3D, Electrical, LT, Map 3D, Mechanical, Advance Steel) follow the same version numbering

  1. Identify the specific AutoCAD product variant (e.g., AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Civil 3D, etc.) currently installed
  2. Open the Autodesk Account or use the Autodesk Desktop Connector to check for available updates
  3. For AutoCAD 2023.x versions: Update to version 2023.1.4 or later
  4. For AutoCAD 2024.x versions: Update to version 2024.1.1 or later
  5. Restart AutoCAD after applying the update
  6. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release (2023.1.4 for 2023 products, 2024.1.1 for 2024 products)
Caveat Review Autodesk's release notes for the 2023.1.4 and 2024.1.1 updates for any compatibility or workflow changes before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Autocad Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2023-29073 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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