CVE-2011-2104 in Acrobat
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 8.x before 8.3, 9.x before 9.4.5, and 10.x before 10.1 on Windows and Mac OS X allow attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/13/2021
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 8.x prior to 8.3, 9.x prior to 9.4.5, and 10.x prior to 10.1 contain a memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks on Windows and Mac OS X systems. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 vulnerability type, which represents an out-of-bounds read condition that can lead to memory corruption. The unspecified vectors through which attackers can exploit this flaw suggest that multiple attack surfaces within the Adobe Acrobat processing engine may be susceptible to manipulation. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing of maliciously crafted PDF files, where improper input validation allows attackers to manipulate memory pointers or buffer boundaries. This vulnerability is particularly concerning as it can be exploited remotely without requiring user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as memory corruption can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution if attackers can control the memory layout. The vulnerability is classified under the ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploiting software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access or disrupt system operations. Attackers typically craft malicious PDF documents containing malformed data structures that trigger the memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable Adobe Reader or Acrobat applications. This type of vulnerability represents a significant risk in enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from untrusted sources. The exploitation of this vulnerability can result in application crashes, system instability, and potentially more severe consequences if the memory corruption leads to code execution. Security researchers have noted that the vulnerability affects multiple versions across different product lines, indicating a widespread issue within the Adobe Acrobat ecosystem. The lack of specific vector details in the original CVE description suggests that the flaw may be related to various parsing operations within the PDF engine, including but not limited to font processing, image handling, or embedded object manipulation. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems as this vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and memory management in document processing software, particularly in applications that handle untrusted data from external sources. This issue highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of document parsing engines and the implementation of robust memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention. The vulnerability also underscores the risks associated with legacy software support and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across enterprise environments. Security professionals should implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and ensure that Adobe Reader installations are regularly updated to mitigate this and similar vulnerabilities. The memory corruption vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat represents a classic example of how improper handling of user-supplied data can lead to severe system instability and potential security breaches, emphasizing the critical need for secure coding practices in software development.