CVE-2011-0563 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.0.1, 9.x before 9.4.2, and 8.x before 8.2.6 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-2011-0589 and CVE-2011-0606.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2021
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 10.0.1, 9.4.2, and 8.2.6 on Windows and Mac OS X contain a memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from CVE-2011-0589 and CVE-2011-0606, indicating multiple weaknesses within the Adobe Acrobat ecosystem. The memory corruption issue typically arises from improper handling of malformed input data within the PDF parsing functionality, allowing attackers to manipulate memory structures through crafted malicious PDF files. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions where programs access memory locations beyond their intended boundaries. The flaw enables attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the victim user, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Adobe Reader is commonly used for document processing. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple major versions of Adobe Acrobat, suggesting a fundamental issue in the PDF processing engine that was not adequately addressed in the affected releases. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious PDF documents that trigger memory corruption when the vulnerable application attempts to parse and render the document, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as the memory corruption can be leveraged to inject and execute malicious code within the application context, making it a critical vulnerability requiring immediate remediation. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems to address this vulnerability, as the attack surface is broad due to the widespread use of Adobe Reader across enterprise networks and individual workstations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves the exploitation of software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access and execute code on target systems. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability makes it particularly challenging to detect and defend against, as it may not always manifest in obvious error conditions but rather through subtle memory manipulation that can be exploited for more sophisticated attacks. The affected versions represent a significant security risk because they were widely deployed in corporate environments where users frequently encounter PDF documents from external sources, creating numerous potential attack vectors for threat actors targeting these vulnerable applications.