Description

A maliciously crafted FLT file, when parsed through Autodesk 3ds Max, can force an Out-of-Bounds Write vulnerability. A malicious actor may leverage this vulnerability to cause a crash, cause data corruption, or execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-24T21:17:49.040Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-24T21:17:49.040Z",
  "executiveSummary": "An out-of-bounds write vulnerability exists within Autodesk 3ds Max when parsing maliciously crafted FLT files. This memory corruption flaw arises during the file ingestion and parsing process handled by the vulnerable component. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to severe system impacts, including application crashes, memory data corruption, or the execution of arbitrary code within the security context of the currently running process. The risk implications are critical, as an attacker possessing the capability to deliver a specially crafted file to a user can achieve system compromise without prior authentication or privilege requirements. Exploitation relies on tricking a victim into opening the malicious file using the targeted software. Defensive strategies must focus on vigilance when handling untrusted file formats, restricting execution privileges, and applying vendor-supplied updates as soon as they become available to neutralize the underlying parser defect.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is classified as an Out-of-Bounds Write, stemming from improper boundary validation and memory management within the parser responsible for handling FLT files in Autodesk 3ds Max. When the software attempts to parse a malformed or maliciously engineered FLT file, the parsing engine fails to properly calculate or verify the size constraints of input data relative to the allocated heap or stack buffer destination. Consequently, incoming data streams from the file are written past the boundaries of the intended memory buffer, resulting in heap or stack corruption. The attack flow commences when a user opens or imports a maliciously crafted FLT file into Autodesk 3ds Max. The application invokes the vulnerable FLT file parsing routine to interpret scene data, geometry, or metadata structures. Due to the absence of rigorous bounds checking, the parser blindly writes out-of-bounds bytes based on corrupted length descriptors or size fields embedded within the malicious file format. This memory overwrite can corrupt adjacent heap metadata, function pointers, or critical application variables. Depending on the precision of the crafted payload and the memory layout at runtime, an attacker can manipulate the instruction pointer or execute arbitrary shellcode in the context of the user running Autodesk 3ds Max. The vulnerability requires local interaction via the opening of an untrusted file, meaning network exposure is indirect unless combined with other vectors like automated web downloads or shared network drives. No authentication or elevated privileges are required to trigger the crash, though arbitrary code execution inherits the privileges of the victim user running the affected process. Post-exploitation impact ranges from complete denial of service via application termination to full system or user-session compromise."
}