CVE-2025-62403: Canva Affinity Information Disclosure

CVE-2025-62403 Overview

An out-of-bounds read vulnerability has been identified in the EMF (Enhanced Metafile) processing functionality of Canva Affinity. This memory corruption flaw allows attackers to craft malicious EMF files that, when processed by the application, can trigger an out-of-bounds read operation. Successful exploitation could lead to disclosure of sensitive information from application memory and potentially cause denial of service through application crashes.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability enables information disclosure through memory read operations beyond intended boundaries. Attackers can leverage specially crafted EMF files to extract sensitive data from process memory, potentially exposing confidential information or facilitating further attacks.

Affected Products

• Canva Affinity for Windows (all versions prior to patch)
• Applications utilizing Canva Affinity's EMF processing functionality

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-17 - CVE-2025-62403 published to NVD
• 2026-03-19 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-62403

Vulnerability Analysis

This out-of-bounds read vulnerability (CWE-125) occurs during the processing of EMF file data within Canva Affinity. EMF files are a Windows metafile format used for storing graphical images, and they contain complex structure data that must be carefully validated during parsing. When Affinity processes a malformed EMF file containing specially crafted fields, the application fails to properly validate array or buffer boundaries before performing read operations. This allows an attacker to cause the application to read memory beyond the allocated buffer, potentially exposing sensitive data residing in adjacent memory regions. The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, typically through opening a malicious EMF file.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-62403 lies in insufficient bounds checking during EMF file parsing operations. When processing certain EMF record types or embedded data structures, the application uses size or index values from the file without adequate validation. This allows malformed files to specify read operations that exceed the actual data boundaries, resulting in out-of-bounds memory access. The lack of proper input validation for size fields within EMF structures creates an exploitable condition where attacker-controlled values can influence memory read operations.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is local, requiring user interaction to open a malicious EMF file. An attacker would typically deliver the crafted EMF file through social engineering methods such as email attachments, malicious downloads, or file-sharing platforms. When a victim opens the malicious file with Canva Affinity, the out-of-bounds read is triggered during the parsing phase. The attacker can potentially extract sensitive information from the application's memory space, including cryptographic materials, authentication tokens, or other confidential data. Additionally, the out-of-bounds read may cause the application to crash, resulting in denial of service.

The vulnerability mechanism involves specially crafted EMF records that contain malformed length or offset fields. When parsed, these fields direct the application to read beyond allocated buffer boundaries. For detailed technical analysis, refer to the Talos Intelligence Report TALOS-2025-2321.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-62403

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes or exceptions in Canva Affinity when processing EMF files
• Application memory dumps containing references to malformed EMF structures
• Suspicious EMF files with anomalous record sizes or offset values in temporary directories
• Unusual process behavior following EMF file opening operations

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Canva Affinity process crashes associated with EMF file operations
• Implement file integrity monitoring for EMF files entering the environment
• Deploy endpoint detection rules to identify malformed EMF structures with invalid size fields
• Enable application crash analysis to capture and analyze exceptions during file processing

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure logging for file access events involving EMF files processed by Canva Affinity
• Implement alerting for repeated application crashes that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Monitor network traffic for suspicious EMF file downloads from untrusted sources
• Review endpoint telemetry for unusual memory access patterns in Affinity processes

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-62403

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the latest security updates from Canva for Affinity software
• Exercise caution when opening EMF files from untrusted sources
• Consider temporarily restricting EMF file processing in high-risk environments until patches are applied
• Implement application allowlisting to control which applications can process EMF files

Patch Information

Canva has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Users should update Canva Affinity to the latest available version. Refer to the Canva Trust Resource for official patch information and download links. Enterprise administrators should prioritize deployment of these updates across managed systems.

Workarounds

• Block or quarantine EMF files from untrusted sources at email and web gateways
• Disable automatic preview of EMF files in file browsers and email clients
• Implement user awareness training regarding risks of opening files from unknown sources
• Use sandboxing or isolated environments when opening EMF files from untrusted sources

Organizations should implement defense-in-depth strategies including endpoint protection, network segmentation, and user training to reduce the risk of exploitation through malicious file delivery.