CVE-2010-3620 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.4, and 8.x before 8.2.5 on Windows and Mac OS X, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted image, a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-3629.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2021
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 9.x prior to 9.4 and 8.x prior to 8.2.5 contain an unspecified vulnerability that enables remote code execution through crafted image files. This vulnerability specifically affects Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, making it a cross-platform threat that targets the most widely used document viewing applications. The flaw resides in how these applications process image files, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized system access. Unlike CVE-2010-3629 which addressed different aspects of the same software, this vulnerability focuses specifically on image parsing mechanisms within the document processing pipeline.
The technical nature of this vulnerability suggests a buffer overflow or memory corruption issue within the image handling components of Adobe Reader and Acrobat. When these applications encounter specially crafted image files, the parsing routines fail to properly validate input data, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the application. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds writes in buffer manipulation. The attack typically involves embedding malicious code within image files that appear legitimate to users but contain crafted data structures designed to exploit the vulnerable parsing logic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on target systems without requiring user interaction beyond opening a malicious document. This makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently open documents from untrusted sources. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of Adobe Reader and Acrobat, which are used extensively for viewing pdf documents, making it a prime target for social engineering attacks. Attackers can craft malicious image files that appear to be legitimate documents or images, tricking users into opening them and thereby executing malicious payloads. The vulnerability exists in versions that were widely deployed across both Windows and Mac OS X platforms, increasing its potential attack surface and making it a critical security concern for organizations relying on these applications.
Organizations should immediately update to Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 9.4 and 8.2.5 respectively, which contain patches addressing this vulnerability. System administrators should implement network monitoring to detect suspicious file transfers and ensure that Adobe Reader and Acrobat are configured to disable automatic execution of embedded content. Security teams should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted image files, particularly those with extensions that could contain malicious code. The mitigation strategy should also include user education to avoid opening suspicious documents and regular security assessments to identify systems that may still be running vulnerable versions of the software. Additionally, organizations should consider deploying endpoint protection solutions that can detect and block exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability pattern. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping document processing applications updated, as it represents a classic example of how image handling vulnerabilities can be exploited to achieve remote code execution in widely used software applications.