CVE-2010-0195 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.3.2, and 8.x before 8.2.2 on Windows and Mac OS X, do not properly handle fonts, which allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2018
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 9.3.2 for Windows and Mac OS X contain a critical vulnerability in their font handling mechanism that creates an execution environment for malicious code. This vulnerability stems from improper validation and processing of font files within the application's rendering engine, specifically affecting versions 9.x before 9.3.2 and 8.x before 8.2.2 across both operating systems. The flaw exists in the manner these applications parse and interpret font data structures, creating potential entry points for attackers to craft malicious font files that can trigger code execution when processed by the vulnerable software.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability falls under the category of buffer overflow conditions and memory corruption issues, which are commonly classified under CWE-121 for buffer overflow and CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read conditions. The vulnerability manifests when the application attempts to process malformed font data, particularly within font tables and metadata structures that are not properly validated. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially designed font files that, when opened or rendered by the vulnerable Adobe Reader or Acrobat, cause the application to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the software. This exploitation vector represents a classic sandbox escape scenario where the application's rendering engine becomes a conduit for malicious payload delivery.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote code execution attacks that can compromise user systems without requiring user interaction beyond opening a malicious document. The vulnerability affects both Windows and Mac OS X platforms, expanding the potential attack surface significantly. Security researchers have noted that this flaw can be leveraged in phishing campaigns where attackers embed malicious fonts within PDF documents, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users frequently open documents from external sources. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction and can lead to complete system compromise, including privilege escalation and data exfiltration capabilities.
Organizations should immediately apply the security patches released by Adobe for versions 9.3.2 and 8.2.2 respectively, which address the font handling flaws through enhanced input validation and memory management routines. System administrators should implement application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted PDF files and consider deploying sandboxing solutions to contain potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution and T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, indicating that defensive measures should include network monitoring for suspicious PDF file transfers and endpoint detection for anomalous font processing activities. Additionally, regular security awareness training should emphasize the risks of opening PDF documents from untrusted sources, as this vulnerability can be effectively exploited through social engineering campaigns that leverage the widespread use of PDF documents in business environments.