CVE-2010-3623 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 8.x before 8.2.5 and 9.x before 9.4 on Mac OS X allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2021
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 8.x prior to 8.2.5 and 9.x prior to 9.4 on Mac OS X systems contain a memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of certain data structures within the PDF processing engine, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory layout and execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack surfaces within the software's PDF parsing functionality could be exploited, potentially including malformed PDF files or specific embedded objects that trigger memory corruption during processing. The vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations that can lead to memory corruption. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability could potentially execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems, bypassing standard security controls and potentially establishing persistent access. The impact extends beyond simple code execution to include denial of service scenarios where memory corruption causes application crashes or system instability. This vulnerability fits within the ATT&CK framework under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1106 for execution through API calls, as attackers would need to exploit the memory corruption to gain code execution capabilities. The vulnerability's exploitation typically requires crafting malicious PDF content that triggers specific memory handling errors when processed by the vulnerable Adobe software. Organizations running these affected versions face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where PDF documents are frequently shared and opened. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability makes it particularly challenging to detect and mitigate, as the attack may not immediately manifest as a clear error condition but could instead cause subtle system instability or complete application compromise. Security researchers have noted that the vulnerability's exploitation often involves manipulating heap memory structures during PDF parsing operations, leading to unpredictable behavior that can be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks. The affected software versions represent a critical security gap that required immediate patching to prevent widespread exploitation across Mac OS X environments. Organizations should prioritize updating to Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 8.2.5 and 9.4 respectively, as these releases contain the necessary memory management fixes that address the underlying corruption issues. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and PDF content filtering can provide additional layers of protection while awaiting full patch deployment. The vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing challenges in securing complex document processing software and highlights the importance of regular security updates for widely deployed applications. This particular flaw underscores the need for robust memory safety practices in software development, particularly in applications that process untrusted data from external sources. The technical nature of the vulnerability places it within the broader category of heap-based buffer overflow conditions that have historically been exploited for privilege escalation and persistent access in enterprise security environments.