CVE-2010-0190 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.3.2, and 8.x before 8.2.2 on Windows and Mac OS X, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0190 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat software versions prior to 9.3.2 and 8.2.2 respectively. This security weakness exists in the web browser integration components of these applications, specifically within the handling of user-supplied input that is rendered in web contexts. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of data passed to the application's rendering engine, which processes content from web sources and embedded documents. Attackers can exploit this issue by crafting malicious web content or PDF documents that contain embedded scripts, which then execute within the context of the user's browser session when the vulnerable software processes the content.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs through unspecified vectors that typically involve the manipulation of input fields or parameters within web-based PDF viewing environments. When Adobe Reader or Acrobat processes maliciously crafted content, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as executable script code. This allows attackers to inject HTML tags, javascript code, or other malicious content that executes in the victim's browser session with the privileges of the vulnerable application. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the context of the user's web browser, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The flaw affects both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, indicating a widespread impact across multiple platform architectures.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-0190 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting, session manipulation, and phishing attacks. An attacker could craft a malicious PDF document that, when opened in the vulnerable software, would automatically redirect the user to a fraudulent website designed to capture login credentials or personal information. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the target system, enabling large-scale attacks through email attachments, compromised websites, or malicious file sharing platforms. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and can be categorized under CWE-79 as "Cross-site Scripting" with potential for privilege escalation through session manipulation. The attack surface is significantly broadened by the widespread deployment of Adobe Reader across enterprise and consumer environments, making this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors.
Organizations and users should immediately implement mitigation strategies including prompt installation of Adobe's security patches released for versions 9.3.2 and 8.2.2 respectively. System administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to detect and block malicious payloads before they reach vulnerable systems. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" and T1566 for "Phishing" as attackers could leverage this flaw to establish initial access through malicious documents. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of only opening PDF files from trusted sources and maintaining current software versions. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual outbound connections or suspicious web traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against zero-day exploits that target commonly used software applications.