CVE-2012-4154 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-2012-4149, CVE-2012-4150, CVE-2012-4151, CVE-2012-4152, CVE-2012-4153, CVE-2012-4155, CVE-2012-4156, CVE-2012-4157, CVE-2012-4158, CVE-2012-4159, and CVE-2012-4160.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2018
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 9.x prior to 9.5.2 and 10.x prior to 10.1.4 contain a memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks on Windows and Mac OS X systems. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from numerous other CVEs published in the same year, indicating a complex attack surface within Adobe's document processing libraries. The unspecified vectors suggest that the memory corruption occurs through multiple potential code paths within the application's handling of PDF documents, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as attackers can exploit various entry points to achieve their objectives.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within Adobe's PDF parsing components, which likely involves buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory corruption patterns that have been historically classified under CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) and CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write). These memory corruption issues typically arise when applications fail to properly validate input data or when they manipulate memory pointers without adequate bounds checking. The vulnerability affects the core document processing engine that handles PDF file parsing and rendering, making it a critical attack surface for malicious actors seeking to compromise systems through crafted PDF documents.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise through arbitrary code execution. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that, when opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, trigger memory corruption conditions that allow them to execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running the application. This represents a significant threat vector within enterprise environments where PDF documents are frequently shared and opened by users. The vulnerability affects both Windows and Mac OS X platforms, indicating that the underlying memory management flaw exists across multiple operating system architectures and is not limited to a specific platform implementation.
Organizations should immediately apply the security patches released by Adobe to address this vulnerability, as the window of opportunity for exploitation remains open for systems running vulnerable versions. The remediation process involves updating to Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 9.5.2 or 10.1.4 respectively, which contain the necessary fixes for the memory corruption issues. Security administrators should also consider implementing additional protective measures such as PDF sandboxing, content filtering, and user education regarding the dangers of opening untrusted PDF documents. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) and T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, demonstrating how memory corruption vulnerabilities can serve as initial access vectors for broader attack chains. The presence of multiple affected versions and platforms underscores the importance of comprehensive patch management and the need for organizations to maintain up-to-date security configurations across all Adobe products in their environments.