CVE-2009-2984 in Acrobat
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the image decoder in Adobe Acrobat 9.x before 9.2, and possibly 7.x through 7.1.4 and 8.x through 8.1.7, allows attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2984 represents a critical security flaw within Adobe Acrobat's image decoding functionality affecting multiple versions of the software. This issue resides in the image decoder component that processes various image formats embedded within PDF documents, creating a potential attack surface where malicious actors can exploit the software's handling of image data. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that the exact technical mechanism remains partially obscured, though the implications for system security are severe enough to warrant immediate attention from organizations relying on Adobe Acrobat for document processing.
The technical flaw manifests in how Adobe Acrobat handles image data during the decoding process, where insufficient input validation and memory management controls allow attackers to craft specially malformed image files or PDF documents that trigger unexpected behavior in the application. This weakness falls under the category of memory corruption vulnerabilities, which are commonly associated with buffer overflows or heap corruption issues that can lead to arbitrary code execution when exploited. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enabling remote code execution, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where PDF documents are frequently shared and processed.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations that depend on Adobe Acrobat for document handling, as it can be exploited through seemingly benign PDF files that contain malicious image data. Attackers can leverage this flaw by embedding crafted image content within PDF documents that are opened by vulnerable versions of Acrobat, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack vector is particularly insidious because it requires no special privileges or user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it an attractive target for social engineering campaigns and automated exploitation attempts. Organizations with legacy systems running older versions of Acrobat face the highest risk, as these versions may not have received security patches addressing this specific vulnerability.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2009-2984 primarily involves immediate application of Adobe's security patches and updates, specifically targeting the version ranges mentioned in the vulnerability description. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all instances of Adobe Acrobat are updated to versions 9.2 or later, while also verifying that 7.x through 7.1.4 and 8.x through 8.1.7 versions have been properly addressed. Network-based defenses should include PDF content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms that isolate document processing to prevent exploitation attempts from affecting core systems. This vulnerability aligns with several attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those involving privilege escalation and execution through malicious document formats, while also relating to CWE categories focusing on input validation and memory safety issues. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify and remediate any systems running vulnerable software versions, as the potential for exploitation remains high given the broad impact scope and the relatively simple nature of the attack vectors involved.