CVE-2010-2208 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.3.3, and 8.x before 8.2.3 on Windows and Mac OS X, dereference a heap object after this object s deletion, which allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2021
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 9.3.3 for Windows and Mac OS X contained a critical heap memory corruption vulnerability that manifested through improper object management during memory deallocation processes. This vulnerability specifically involved a use-after-free condition where the software attempted to access memory locations that had already been freed from the heap, creating opportunities for malicious code execution. The flaw occurred within the document processing components that handle various file formats and embedded objects, particularly when parsing complex PDF structures that triggered the problematic memory management sequence. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious PDF files that would cause the application to dereference freed memory pointers during normal document rendering operations, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the context of the vulnerable application. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in memory management. The operational impact of this vulnerability was significant as it allowed remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond opening a malicious document, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where PDF files are frequently shared and opened. The vulnerability exploited a fundamental memory safety issue that could be leveraged to bypass standard security measures and execute malicious payloads directly within the application's memory space. The attack vector involved sending specially crafted PDF documents through email, web downloads, or file sharing mechanisms, where simply opening the document would trigger the memory corruption. The technical nature of this vulnerability aligned with ATT&CK technique T1203 which involves exploitation of software vulnerabilities to gain code execution privileges. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat were exposed to potential compromise through social engineering attacks targeting document opening activities, as the vulnerability required no special privileges or user interaction beyond normal document consumption. The fix implemented in versions 9.3.3 and 8.2.3 addressed the memory management flaw by ensuring proper object lifecycle handling and preventing access to deallocated memory regions. Security professionals recommended immediate patching of affected systems and implementation of additional controls such as PDF sandboxing features and restricted file type handling to minimize exposure windows. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of proper memory management in complex document processing applications and demonstrated how seemingly minor flaws in object handling could lead to complete system compromise. This particular issue represented a classic example of heap-based memory corruption that could be exploited through carefully constructed input data, emphasizing the need for comprehensive memory safety testing and validation in software development lifecycle processes. Organizations should have implemented layered security approaches including email filtering, web proxy scanning, and application whitelisting to protect against exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. The remediation process required careful coordination between IT security teams and application administrators to ensure comprehensive deployment across all affected endpoints while minimizing business disruption from the patching activities. This vulnerability underscored the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing robust application security practices to prevent exploitation of memory corruption flaws that could lead to complete system compromise.