CVE-2022-23204 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability discovered in Adobe Premiere Rush versions 2. and earlier. This bug can let an attacker read memory they shouldn’t be able to, possibly leaking sensitive data. Since Adobe Premiere Rush is popular for video editing, this flaw puts users at risk, especially if they open specially crafted (malicious) project files.

An adversary could exploit this bug to bypass security defenses like ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization), which normally makes it much harder to execute deeper system attacks.

Technical Overview: What Is an Out-of-Bounds Read?

An *out-of-bounds read* happens when a program reads data past the end (or before the start) of a memory buffer. In Adobe Premiere Rush, a crafted project file can trick the app into reading unintended memory. This is dangerous because that memory can contain sensitive information: passwords, encryption keys, or other private details.

Essentially, the attacker makes the victim’s computer give up information by sending data from places in memory it shouldn’t read.

Attacker crafts a malicious .prproj (Premiere Rush project) file

They use knowledge of the file format and the vulnerability to design a file that, when loaded, will cause an out-of-bounds read.

Premiere Rush reads out-of-bounds memory

When processing the malicious data, the app reads from memory it shouldn’t access. The attacker can embed script or commands in the file to leak this data.

Sensitive data is exposed or ASLR is weakened

The information disclosed may help attackers either directly (stealing sensitive info) or by breaking security features like ASLR, paving the way for more powerful exploits.

Sample Exploit Code (Fake Project Snippet)

Imagine this pseudo-code example in the context of how an attacker might trigger the bug. This is not a working exploit—Adobe hasn’t disclosed exact internal functions—but gives a simplified idea:

# This Python script represents a malicious project file generator for Premiere Rush
# It places large, improper index values to cause out-of-bounds reads.

import struct

# Simulate part of the .prproj file structure (for demo purposes only)
header = b"PRPJ"  # Fake header
buffer = b"A" * 1024  # Normal data

# Plant an abnormal index to trigger out-of-bounds reading
malicious_index = struct.pack('<I', xFFFFFFFF)  # Large unsigned int

malicious_file = header + buffer + malicious_index

with open('evil_project.prproj', 'wb') as f:
    f.write(malicious_file)

print("Malicious Premiere Rush project file created!")

In this demo, setting a gigantic (out-of-bounds) index tries to trick the app into reading memory it shouldn’t.

Bypassing ASLR

ASLR randomizes memory addresses used by processes, making attacks harder. However, if an attacker can read memory contents out-of-bounds, they might locate key program structures—nullifying ASLR’s protection and making further exploitation easier (such as writing code exploits or shellcode).

Update your software.

Adobe has released security updates fixing this issue in later versions.

- Adobe official security bulletin: APSB22-23
- NIST NVD entry: CVE-2022-23204

Final Thoughts

CVE-2022-23204 is a serious flaw, and while *exploiting it* does require tricking someone into opening a malicious file, the impact can be severe. Attackers could steal memory they shouldn’t see and even bypass other security tools. If you use Adobe Premiere Rush, update your software ASAP and watch out for sketchy project files. Stay safe, and always keep your editing software current!

Timeline

Published on: 02/16/2022 17:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 02/24/2022 15:56:00 UTC