CVE-2013-0604 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.5.3, 10.x before 10.1.5, and 11.x before 11.0.1 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-0603.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0604 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 9.5.3, 10.1.5, and 11.0.1 respectively. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based and heap-based buffer overflow conditions that occur when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of a fixed-length buffer. The flaw exists within the document processing components of Adobe's PDF rendering engine, where insufficient input validation allows maliciously crafted PDF files to trigger memory corruption during document parsing operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through heap memory corruption that enables attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations with malicious code. When Adobe Reader or Acrobat processes a specially crafted PDF document containing oversized or malformed data structures, the application's memory management routines fail to properly bounds-check buffer allocations. This allows attackers to manipulate heap metadata and potentially overwrite function pointers or return addresses, creating opportunities for arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability differs from CVE-2013-0603, which represents a separate but related issue affecting different code paths within the same software components.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise environments where Adobe Reader remains the primary PDF viewer. Attackers can leverage this flaw through social engineering campaigns that distribute malicious PDF attachments via email or compromised websites, requiring no special privileges beyond user interaction. The exploitation typically follows the attack pattern described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under technique T1203, where adversaries use malicious documents to gain initial access. Once executed, the malicious code can establish persistence mechanisms, escalate privileges, or create backdoors within the target system, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including mandatory patching of all affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat installations to the latest versions. Network segmentation and email filtering controls can help reduce the attack surface by limiting user access to potentially malicious PDF files. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted PDF documents can provide defense-in-depth protection. Security monitoring should focus on detecting anomalous PDF processing activities and memory corruption indicators, with particular attention to heap allocation patterns and memory access violations that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping enterprise software updated and maintaining comprehensive patch management programs to prevent exploitation of known security flaws.