Autodesk has identified and warned users of a MAXScript exploit in 3ds Max. “PhysXPluginMfx” is a variant of ALC2, ALC, CRP and ADLS that can corrupt 3ds Max software’s settings, run malicious code, and propagate to other MAX files if scene files containing the script are loaded into 3ds Max. A fix is already available and users are urged to install and run the free plugin available from the Autodesk App Store to detect and remove the malicious code.
Security Experts BitDefender also recently published a whitepaper about this exploit, suggesting that it was a “cyberespionage attack targeting an international architectural and video production company, pointing to an advanced threat actor and South Korean-based C&C infrastructure.”
“During the investigation, Bitdefender researchers found that threat actors had an entire toolset featuring powerful spying capabilities and made use of a previously unknown vulnerability in a popular software widely used in 3D computer graphics (Autodesk 3ds Max) to compromise the target.”
For more detailed information about their investigation, pleased visit the Bitdefender website.
For any Max/Autodesk reps reading this: please inform all your customers immediately once you identify malware. You have all the contact info you need for this. I’m getting unrelated BS emails from Autodesk not even tangentially related to what I do, the Autodesk App informs me about every little update, but this is something I *really* want to learn about as soon as possible once you know it’s out there. You know, the majority of users do not actively scan the internet for CG related news, and wouldn’t it be for external sources many wouldn’t even know malware in Max is a thing.
Like they care about customers lol. 3DS Max has tons of background processes running, they should update one of them to track that malware and block it.
We do care and we have had a team working on security for a while.
This is actually great, both response and time.
If you could have a team also working on making your software features good..
What are the chances of such exploits spreading to other software? We are constantly downloading files from other users online for example from a forum that anyone can access.
Does anyone have a copy of that .mse file mentioned in the BitDefender paper?
Max= VIRUs