Description

Substance3D - Sampler versions 5.1.3 and earlier are affected by a Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-27T17:18:10.973Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-27T17:18:10.973Z",
  "executiveSummary": "Substance3D Sampler versions 5.1.3 and earlier are susceptible to a critical heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability.\nThis vulnerability allows for arbitrary code execution within the security context of the logged-in user.\nThe flaw stems from improper handling of malformed input files, which triggers a heap memory corruption when processed by the application.\nThe primary attack vector requires successful user interaction, specifically the opening of a specially crafted malicious file by an authenticated user.\nUpon successful exploitation, an attacker could achieve unauthorized code execution, potentially leading to a full system compromise, data exfiltration, or the installation of persistent malicious software.\nThe risk profile is elevated due to the nature of the vulnerability allowing for arbitrary command execution under the user's privilege level.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is classified as a heap-based buffer overflow, occurring within the file parsing logic of Substance3D Sampler versions 5.1.3 and earlier.\nThe root cause involves insufficient bounds checking when the application allocates and writes data into heap memory while processing input files. When an attacker provides a maliciously crafted file, the input data exceeds the allocated buffer size, resulting in an out-of-bounds write operation on the heap.\nThis corruption of heap metadata or adjacent memory structures provides a mechanism for an attacker to redirect control flow. By carefully positioning payload data, an attacker can overwrite critical application data structures or function pointers. When the application subsequently attempts to utilize these corrupted structures or invoke the overwritten pointers, it executes code supplied by the attacker.\nThe attack flow follows a specific sequence: First, the attacker creates a malicious file designed to trigger the overflow during the parsing phase. Second, the attacker induces a victim, operating the application with standard user privileges, to open this file. Third, the application's internal parsing engine encounters the malformed input, triggering the buffer overflow on the heap.\nThe exploitation phase leverages the resulting memory corruption to gain arbitrary code execution. Because the application runs within the security context of the current user, the attacker's payload inherits those same permissions. This allows the adversary to perform any action permitted by the current user, including modifying user data, installing persistent backdoors, or executing further system-level commands.\nNo authentication or specific network exposure is required to initiate the attack, as the primary vector is file-based local interaction. The vulnerability is effectively triggered by the application's ingestion of untrusted input. Consequently, the impact is confined to the workstation or local environment where the user interacts with the compromised software."
}