CVE-2007-0045 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat Reader Plugin before 8.0.0, and possibly the plugin distributed with Adobe Reader 7.x before 7.1.4, 8.x before 8.1.7, and 9.x before 9.2, for Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 SP1, Google Chrome, Opera 8.5.4 build 770, and Opera 9.10.8679 on Windows allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript and conduct other attacks via a .pdf URL with a javascript: or res: URI with (1) FDF, (2) XML, and (3) XFDF AJAX parameters, or (4) an arbitrarily named name=URI anchor identifier, aka "Universal XSS (UXSS)."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-0045 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Adobe Acrobat Reader plugins across multiple browser environments. This issue affects versions prior to specific patches including Adobe Reader 7.x before 7.1.4, 8.x before 8.1.7, and 9.x before 9.2, making it particularly dangerous as it impacts widely used software components. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of PDF files when processed through various browsers including Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer 6 SP1, Google Chrome, and Opera versions 8.5.4 and 9.10.8679 on Windows platforms.
The technical flaw manifests through improper input validation and sanitization within the Adobe Acrobat Reader plugin's processing of PDF files containing malicious URIs. Attackers can exploit this by crafting specially formatted PDF URLs that contain javascript: or res: URIs in various parameter types including FDF, XML, XFDF AJAX parameters, or through arbitrarily named name=URI anchor identifiers. This creates what security researchers termed "Universal XSS (UXSS)" because the vulnerability spans multiple browser platforms and plugin versions, significantly expanding the attack surface. The root cause lies in the plugin's failure to properly escape or validate URI content before rendering PDF elements, allowing malicious JavaScript code to execute within the context of the victim's browser session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to conduct a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. Since the vulnerability operates at the plugin level within web browsers, successful exploitation can lead to complete compromise of user sessions and potentially full system access. The cross-browser nature of the vulnerability means that organizations cannot rely on browser-specific protections or user behavior patterns to prevent exploitation, as the flaw exists across multiple platforms and versions. This makes it particularly challenging for security teams to defend against and requires comprehensive patch management across all affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability center on immediate patch deployment as recommended by Adobe, which involves updating to the specified secure versions of the Acrobat Reader plugin. Organizations should also implement browser security policies that restrict PDF plugin execution, utilize content security policies to limit script execution, and consider sandboxing techniques to isolate plugin processes. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can help detect and block malicious PDF content, though they may not prevent all variants of the attack. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) and represents a classic example of how browser plugins can serve as attack vectors for sophisticated exploitation techniques, often categorized under the ATT&CK framework's initial access and execution phases where adversaries establish footholds through compromised software components. Security teams must also consider implementing user education programs to recognize potentially malicious PDF attachments and maintain comprehensive monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.