CVE-2010-0204 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, allow attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) or execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-0194, CVE-2010-0197, and CVE-2010-0201.
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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 contained a critical vulnerability that enabled remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution or denial of service through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability specifically affected the processing of certain file formats within the Adobe Acrobat software suite, creating a potential pathway for malicious actors to compromise systems running vulnerable versions. The flaw manifested as memory corruption issues that could be exploited to either crash the application or gain unauthorized execution privileges on the target system. Unlike related vulnerabilities such as CVE-2010-0194, CVE-2010-0197, and CVE-2010-0201, this particular weakness represented a distinct code path that required separate remediation efforts. The vulnerability's impact was significant given Adobe Reader's widespread deployment across enterprise and consumer environments, making it a prime target for exploitation. Attackers could potentially craft malicious PDF documents or other supported file formats that, when opened by a vulnerable Adobe application, would trigger the memory corruption flaw. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-119 category of "Improper Access to Memory" and aligns with ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and code execution through software exploitation. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability suggests improper input validation or buffer handling within Adobe's document processing libraries, which could be manipulated through crafted data structures in PDF files.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-0204 extended beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable full system compromise when exploited successfully. Organizations relying on Adobe Reader for document viewing faced substantial risk as the vulnerability could be triggered through legitimate document viewing activities, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently open documents from external sources. The vulnerability's presence in both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems indicated a cross-platform threat that required coordinated remediation efforts across different computing environments. Security professionals needed to implement immediate patch management strategies to address this flaw, as the exploitation could occur without user interaction in some scenarios. The memory corruption aspect of the vulnerability created potential for information disclosure or system instability that could persist even after the initial exploit attempt. Network administrators and security teams had to prioritize this vulnerability due to its potential for remote code execution, which could allow attackers to establish persistent access to compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-0204 required immediate implementation of Adobe's security patches and updates to prevent exploitation of the memory corruption vulnerability. Organizations should have implemented strict document handling policies that limited exposure to potentially malicious files, particularly those received from untrusted sources. The recommended approach involved upgrading to Adobe Reader versions 9.3.2 or later for 9.x series and 8.2.2 or later for 8.x series, which contained the necessary fixes for the identified memory handling flaws. Security controls should have included network-based filtering to block suspicious PDF files and implementation of sandboxing techniques to isolate document processing activities. System administrators needed to conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running vulnerable Adobe Reader versions and prioritize patch deployment accordingly. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue necessitated additional monitoring for unusual system behavior or memory usage patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should have established incident response procedures specifically addressing potential exploitation of this vulnerability, including forensic analysis capabilities to investigate successful attacks. Regular security awareness training for users about the dangers of opening unknown document attachments became crucial in reducing the attack surface for this and similar vulnerabilities.