CVE-2012-4149 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.5.2 and 10.x before 10.1.4 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-2012-2051, CVE-2012-4147, CVE-2012-4148, CVE-2012-4150, CVE-2012-4151, CVE-2012-4152, CVE-2012-4153, CVE-2012-4154, CVE-2012-4155, CVE-2012-4156, CVE-2012-4157, CVE-2012-4158, CVE-2012-4159, and CVE-2012-4160.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2018
This vulnerability affects Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 9.5.2 and 10.1.4 on Windows and Mac OS X platforms, representing a critical memory corruption issue that enables remote code execution or denial of service conditions. The flaw exists within the handling of unspecified vectors within the Adobe Acrobat processing engine, making it particularly dangerous as it operates outside the scope of previously identified vulnerabilities in the same vulnerability family. The memory corruption aspect suggests that attackers can manipulate memory structures through crafted malicious documents, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the context of the vulnerable application. This vulnerability is classified under the CWE-119 weakness category, which encompasses issues related to memory safety and improper handling of memory access patterns, making it a prime target for exploitation in advanced persistent threat campaigns.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-4149 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise potential when exploited successfully. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability through social engineering tactics by delivering malicious PDF documents that trigger the memory corruption when opened by vulnerable Adobe Reader installations. The vulnerability's presence in both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems indicates a cross-platform threat vector that requires comprehensive security measures across enterprise environments. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Acrobat are particularly at risk as these applications are widely deployed in corporate networks and are frequently used to process documents containing sensitive information. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploiting weaknesses in software applications to gain unauthorized access or execute malicious code.
The exploitation of this vulnerability typically involves crafting specially formatted PDF documents that contain malformed data structures designed to trigger memory corruption during document parsing. When a user opens such a document, the Adobe Acrobat engine processes the malicious content and causes memory corruption that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the application. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may open documents from untrusted sources. The vulnerability's existence in multiple versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat indicates that it represents a fundamental flaw in the document processing engine rather than a simple patchable issue. Security researchers have noted that similar vulnerabilities in the same year (2012) often follow patterns of memory corruption exploits that align with the ATT&CK framework's T1059 category, which covers execution through command and scripting interfaces, suggesting that exploitation could potentially allow attackers to establish persistent access to compromised systems.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including mandatory updates to Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 9.5.2 and 10.1.4 respectively, along with network-based protections such as PDF content filtering and sandboxing solutions. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-119 emphasizes the need for proper memory management practices and input validation in document processing applications. Security teams should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted PDF documents and establish monitoring procedures for suspicious document handling activities. The vulnerability's relationship to other similar issues in the same vulnerability family suggests that organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all potentially affected Adobe applications and ensure complete remediation across their environments. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of only opening PDF documents from trusted sources and maintaining current software versions to minimize exposure to such memory corruption vulnerabilities.