CVE-2012-0777 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
The JavaScript API in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.5.1 and 10.x before 10.1.3 on Mac OS X and Linux allows 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 • 10/14/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0777 represents a critical security flaw within Adobe Reader and Acrobat software versions prior to 9.5.1 and 10.1.3 on Mac OS X and Linux operating systems. This issue resides within the JavaScript API implementation that enables script execution within PDF documents, creating a potential attack surface that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized system access or disrupt normal operations. The vulnerability specifically affects the handling of JavaScript commands within PDF files, making it particularly dangerous given the widespread use of Adobe Reader across enterprise and personal computing environments.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that allow attackers to manipulate the JavaScript engine's memory management processes, resulting in memory corruption that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption flaws, which are commonly classified as CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) or CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) depending on the specific implementation details. The memory corruption occurs during the processing of JavaScript commands embedded within PDF documents, where improper bounds checking or buffer overflow conditions enable attackers to overwrite critical memory regions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Adobe Reader for document processing and viewing. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that, when opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader, will automatically execute malicious code without user interaction. This capability enables various attack scenarios including remote code execution, privilege escalation, and persistent system compromise. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed software versions means that organizations may be exposed to attacks without immediate awareness, as the malicious behavior could occur silently in the background.
The attack surface for CVE-2012-0777 aligns with several tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to execution and privilege escalation. The vulnerability enables adversaries to leverage the legitimate JavaScript API functionality to bypass traditional security controls, making it difficult to detect through conventional means. Organizations using affected versions of Adobe Reader should implement immediate mitigations including mandatory software updates, network-based protections such as PDF content filtering, and user education regarding the dangers of opening untrusted PDF documents. The recommended remediation involves upgrading to Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 9.5.1 and 10.1.3 respectively, which contain patches addressing the memory corruption issues within the JavaScript API implementation. Security teams should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms and application whitelisting policies to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation attempts.