CVE-2022-30637 - How an Out-of-Bounds Write in Adobe Illustrator Could Let Hackers Take Over Your Computer

Adobe Illustrator is one of the most popular graphics editing programs on the market, used by creatives and professionals around the world. But even the best software isn’t immune to vulnerabilities. In 2022, a critical security flaw—CVE-2022-30637—was discovered in several versions of Adobe Illustrator. In this post, we'll break down what this vulnerability is, how it works, and just how dangerous it can be. And if you're the hands-on type, we'll peek at some example code and how attackers could exploit this flaw.

The Basics: What is CVE-2022-30637?

At its core, CVE-2022-30637 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability. This means that Illustrator, when handling certain crafted file types, could end up writing data where it really shouldn’t in your computer’s memory. That gives attackers the chance to run their own code—whatever they want—using the permissions of whoever opened the file (you!).

Adobe Illustrator 25.4.5 and earlier

Short summary: Open a malicious Illustrator file, and boom—an attacker could take control.

Adobe’s official security bulletin:  
APSB22-32 Security update available for Adobe Illustrator | Adobe PSIRT

Let’s get a bit technical, but keep it simple.

When a program loads a file (like an .ai), it reads parts of the file into memory. If the file says some data is supposed to be 100 bytes, but the code forgets to check, and the file actually contains 300 bytes, Illustrator might just keep writing past the “end” of where it should. That’s an out-of-bounds write.

In CVE-2022-30637, a specially made Illustrator file fools the program into overwriting sensitive areas of memory—possibly injecting malicious code.

“Show Me the Code!” — Demo of a Hypothetical Exploit

Disclaimer:  
The following is a simplified, proof-of-concept-style pseudocode to demonstrate the idea behind such vulnerabilities. Do not use for malicious purposes.

Let’s say Illustrator parses a file header like this

// Vulnerable function in pseudo-C
void parseHeader(char* inputFileData) {
    char headerBuffer[64];
    memcpy(headerBuffer, inputFileData, getInputLength(inputFileData)); // No bounds checking!
}

An attacker crafts a malicious .ai file where getInputLength(inputFileData) returns, say, 256 bytes. Now, memcpy copies 256 bytes into a 64-byte buffer, overwriting adjacent memory structures—possibly even the program’s return address.

If an attacker overwrites the return address

[ headerBuffer ][evil_code][ ... ][RET_ADDR = address_of_evil_code]

When the function returns, Illustrator jumps to and executes the evil code.

Here’s how an attacker could use CVE-2022-30637

1. Craft a Malicious File: The attacker makes a corrupted Illustrator file (.ai, .eps, or similar) that abuses the vulnerability.
2. Phishing/Delivery: The attacker tricks a user into downloading or opening the file—maybe via email, file sharing, or even a download link.
3. Execution: The unsuspecting user opens the file in Illustrator. The application processes the file, hits the out-of-bounds write bug, and ends up executing malicious code.
4. Result: The attacker’s code runs under the logged-in user’s permissions—this could mean stealing files, installing malware, or worse.

Example: Crafting a Proof of Concept .ai File

Let's say the vulnerable part is in the file's "CustomData" chunk (hypothetically). We could create the following:

[Header][Length=512 bytes][Malicious Data...]

When Illustrator reads the chunk, thinking "no way will this be over 64 bytes," it just copies the whole 512 bytes anyway.

A Python snippet making a dummy payload

with open("malicious.ai", "wb") as f:
    f.write(b"\x41" * 64)  # Normal header
    f.write(b"\x90" * 200) # NOP sled
    f.write(b"\xcc" * 8)   # Potential shellcode (INT3 for demo)
    f.write(b"\x42" * 256) # Data to overflow and control the return address

This is oversimplified, but attackers use similar tricks to slip their code into the program's execution flow.

How to Protect Yourself

- Update Immediately: If you’re running Illustrator versions 26..2, 25.4.5, or earlier, update now via Creative Cloud.

References and Further Reading

- Adobe Security Bulletin APSB22-32
- NIST Vulnerability Database: CVE-2022-30637
- Adobe PSIRT – Patch Details

Conclusion

CVE-2022-30637 is a great reminder that powerful programs like Illustrator need regular security attention. Out-of-bounds writes are a major source of exploits, and when attackers can trigger them just by having someone open a file, things get serious fast. Always keep your software updated, don’t trust files from strangers, and stay tuned for more on digital security!

If you found this helpful, consider sharing with friends or colleagues who use Adobe products. Security is everyone’s business—don’t let one malicious file be the reason for a bad day.

Timeline

Published on: 09/07/2023 14:15:00 UTC