CVE-2025-10881: Autodesk Shared Components Overflow Flaw

CVE-2025-10881 Overview

CVE-2025-10881 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability [CWE-122] affecting Autodesk Shared Components and a broad range of Autodesk 2026 products. The flaw is triggered when a maliciously crafted CATPRODUCT file is parsed by an affected application. An attacker who convinces a user to open such a file can crash the process, read sensitive memory contents, or execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation enables arbitrary code execution within the user's process, leading to compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the host.

Affected Products

• Autodesk Shared Components, AutoCAD 2026, and all AutoCAD verticals (Architecture, Electrical, Map 3D, Mechanical, MEP, Plant 3D)
• Autodesk 3ds Max 2026, Advance Steel 2026, Civil 3D 2026, InfraWorks 2026, Inventor 2026
• Autodesk Revit 2026, Revit LT 2026, and Vault 2026

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-12-16 - CVE-2025-10881 published to NVD
• 2025-12-19 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-10881

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the CATPRODUCT file parsing logic shared across Autodesk's 2026 product line through the shared_components library. CATPRODUCT is a CATIA assembly format that Autodesk products import for interoperability with Dassault Systèmes data. When the parser processes attacker-controlled fields within the file, it writes data past the bounds of a heap-allocated buffer. This corruption of adjacent heap memory enables a range of outcomes from process termination to arbitrary code execution.

The attack requires local file access and user interaction, since a victim must open the crafted CATPRODUCT file within an affected Autodesk application. No authentication is needed, and the resulting code runs at the privilege level of the interactive user.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing or incorrect bounds check during deserialization of structured data inside the CATPRODUCT container. The parser trusts size or offset metadata embedded in the file when allocating or copying into a heap buffer. A specially constructed file supplies values that cause the copy operation to overflow the destination allocation, corrupting heap metadata or adjacent objects.

Attack Vector

Exploitation typically follows a social engineering chain. An attacker delivers the malicious .CATPRODUCT file through email, a shared design repository, a vendor or contractor handoff, or a watering-hole download. When the victim opens the file in an affected product such as AutoCAD 2026, Inventor 2026, or Revit 2026, the vulnerable parsing routine in shared_components executes and triggers the overflow. Reliable code execution depends on heap grooming and bypassing platform mitigations such as ASLR and DEP.

No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. See the Autodesk Security Advisory ADSK-SA-2025-0024 for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-10881

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected .CATPRODUCT files arriving via email, instant messaging, or external file shares, particularly from untrusted partners
• Crash dumps or Windows Error Reporting events for AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, or 3ds Max processes immediately after opening a CAD file
• Child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or rundll32.exe spawned by Autodesk product executables

Detection Strategies

• Monitor process lineage for Autodesk applications (acad.exe, Inventor.exe, Revit.exe, 3dsmax.exe) spawning shells, scripting hosts, or network utilities
• Hunt for .CATPRODUCT file writes in user download and temp directories followed by Autodesk process execution
• Inspect endpoint telemetry for module loads from shared_components paths correlating with process crashes

Monitoring Recommendations

• Centralize crash telemetry from CAD engineering workstations and alert on repeated faults in Autodesk binaries
• Enable command-line and file-create logging on engineering endpoints, and forward to a SIEM for correlation
• Add .CATPRODUCT to mail and proxy inspection rules to flag inbound files from external senders

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-10881

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the updates referenced in Autodesk Security Advisory ADSK-SA-2025-0024 to all 2026 product installations
• Instruct CAD users to refuse .CATPRODUCT files from untrusted or unverified sources until patches are deployed
• Inventory engineering workstations to confirm which Autodesk 2026 products are installed and prioritize patching accordingly

Patch Information

Autodesk has published fixes through the ADSK-SA-2025-0024 advisory. Customers should update via the Autodesk Access client or the Autodesk Account portal. Because the flaw resides in shared_components, updating one product may not remediate others; each affected product must be patched independently.

Workarounds

• Block or quarantine inbound .CATPRODUCT attachments at the email gateway and web proxy
• Open untrusted CAD files only inside an isolated virtual machine or sandboxed workstation without sensitive credentials
• Apply application allowlisting and least-privilege policies so Autodesk processes cannot launch shells or scripting interpreters

# Example: block .CATPRODUCT attachments at an Exchange transport rule (PowerShell)
New-TransportRule -Name "Block CATPRODUCT Attachments" \
  -AttachmentExtensionMatchesWords "catproduct" \
  -RejectMessageReasonText "CATPRODUCT files are blocked pending CVE-2025-10881 remediation."