CVE-2010-2890 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.4, and 8.x before 8.2.5 on Windows and Mac OS X, allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-3619, CVE-2010-3621, CVE-2010-3622, CVE-2010-3628, CVE-2010-3632, and CVE-2010-3658.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2021
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 9.x before 9.4 and 8.x before 8.2.5 contain a memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks on Windows and Mac OS X systems. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from several other related CVEs published in the same timeframe, indicating that attackers can exploit unspecified vectors within the software to manipulate memory structures and potentially gain unauthorized access to affected systems. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of malformed input data within the PDF processing engine, where buffer overflows or heap corruption conditions can occur when parsing specific PDF elements. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The attack surface is particularly concerning given Adobe Reader's widespread deployment across enterprise environments and individual user systems, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to establish persistent access or disrupt operations. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability can be exploited through malicious PDF files delivered via email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites, requiring no user interaction beyond opening the document. The memory corruption aspect suggests that attackers could potentially overwrite critical program memory locations, leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the affected application. This vulnerability aligns with attack patterns described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059 technique for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute malicious code within the victim's environment. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as memory corruption vulnerabilities often provide pathways for privilege escalation and lateral movement within compromised networks. Organizations running affected Adobe Reader versions face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where users regularly open PDF documents from untrusted sources. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue indicates that attackers can manipulate heap management functions, potentially leading to stack smashing or other low-level exploitation techniques. Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through legitimate PDF processing functionality, making it difficult to distinguish between benign and malicious documents based on behavior alone. The affected versions represent a critical security gap that required immediate patching to prevent exploitation by threat actors who were actively targeting these specific software versions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper memory management during PDF parsing operations, where the application fails to properly validate input data before processing. This flaw allows attackers to craft malicious PDF documents that, when opened by the vulnerable software, trigger memory corruption conditions. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-125 indicates that the application reads memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, potentially leading to information disclosure or code execution. Attackers can leverage this weakness through carefully constructed PDF files that exploit memory handling errors in the Acrobat engine's parser. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with heap-based buffer overflows, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This type of vulnerability is particularly challenging to detect and prevent because it occurs during normal software operation when processing legitimate PDF content. The memory corruption can manifest in various ways including application crashes, memory leaks, or more critically, the ability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running application. This vulnerability has been classified as a remote code execution flaw because it does not require local system access or user interaction beyond opening the malicious document. The exploitability of this vulnerability is enhanced by the widespread use of Adobe Reader across different operating systems, making it a prime target for mass deployment attacks. Security researchers have identified that this vulnerability can be triggered through multiple PDF parsing operations, including but not limited to image processing, font handling, and object manipulation functions. The impact is further amplified by the fact that many organizations have legacy systems running older versions of Adobe Reader that may not receive timely updates. Organizations should prioritize patch management efforts to address this vulnerability, as the window of opportunity for exploitation remains open until systems are properly updated. The vulnerability's relationship to other CVEs in the same year indicates that Adobe was dealing with multiple memory corruption issues within their PDF processing libraries, suggesting a systemic problem in how the software handles untrusted input data. This particular vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise security infrastructure where PDF documents are frequently exchanged and processed, making it essential for security teams to implement comprehensive patching strategies and monitoring for exploitation attempts.