CVE-2013-2726 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.5.5, 10.x before 10.1.7, and 11.x before 11.0.03 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-2718, CVE-2013-2719, CVE-2013-2720, CVE-2013-2721, CVE-2013-2722, CVE-2013-2723, CVE-2013-2725, CVE-2013-2731, CVE-2013-2732, CVE-2013-2734, CVE-2013-2735, CVE-2013-2736, CVE-2013-3337, CVE-2013-3338, CVE-2013-3339, CVE-2013-3340, and CVE-2013-3341.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2021
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 9.5.5, 10.1.7, and 11.0.03 contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability represents a distinct threat from multiple related CVEs published in the same year, indicating a complex exploitation landscape where multiple memory corruption flaws exist within the same software family. The flaw resides in how the applications handle certain file processing operations, particularly when parsing malformed or specially crafted PDF content that triggers improper memory management during document rendering. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-119 weakness category, which encompasses memory safety issues including buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, and other memory corruption scenarios that can lead to arbitrary code execution. The attack surface is broad as PDF documents are commonly shared across networks and email systems, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently open documents from untrusted sources. Security researchers have identified that exploitation of this vulnerability typically involves crafting malicious PDF files that cause the application to access invalid memory locations or corrupt memory structures during normal document processing operations. The memory corruption occurs when the affected Adobe applications fail to properly validate input data or properly manage memory allocation during PDF parsing, leading to potential privilege escalation or complete system compromise. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running the application, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple major versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat, indicating a widespread issue that has persisted across several software releases. Organizations running these vulnerable versions face significant risk as attackers can exploit this flaw through email attachments, web downloads, or any method that delivers malicious PDF content to unsuspecting users. The exploitation typically requires user interaction with the malicious document, making social engineering attacks more effective in combination with this technical vulnerability. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution and T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on victim systems through PDF document manipulation. The memory corruption issue manifests in various ways including heap corruption, stack corruption, or pointer dereference errors that can be leveraged for privilege escalation. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Adobe Reader is frequently used for document review and processing, as it provides attackers with a reliable method for gaining unauthorized access to systems. The lack of specific details about the exact attack vectors in the CVE description suggests that multiple exploitation techniques may be possible, increasing the difficulty of developing comprehensive defensive measures. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of all affected versions to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability represents a significant threat to enterprise security infrastructure and user data protection.
This vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing challenges in securing complex document processing software where millions of lines of code must handle diverse input formats and user interactions. The fact that this vulnerability exists across multiple major versions indicates that Adobe may have failed to properly address memory management issues in their PDF parsing libraries, suggesting a deeper architectural problem in how these applications handle potentially malicious input. The vulnerability's classification as memory corruption aligns with common attack patterns in PDF-based exploits, where attackers target the parsing engine to manipulate memory structures for code execution. From a defensive perspective, organizations should implement multi-layered security approaches including email filtering, web application firewalls, and user education to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security updates and patch management processes, as users often delay applying security patches that could protect against known vulnerabilities. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect suspicious PDF file transfers and potentially malicious document behaviors that could indicate exploitation attempts. This particular vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise security posture and requires immediate attention from security teams to assess exposure and implement appropriate mitigations. The widespread nature of Adobe Reader usage across organizations makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as a single compromised system can serve as a foothold for broader network infiltration. Security professionals should also consider implementing sandboxing solutions that isolate PDF processing to prevent exploitation attempts from affecting the broader system. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions suggests that organizations may need to conduct thorough security assessments to identify all potentially affected systems and ensure complete remediation through proper patching procedures.