CVE-2013-3341 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-2013-2726, CVE-2013-2731, CVE-2013-2732, CVE-2013-2734, CVE-2013-2735, CVE-2013-2736, CVE-2013-3337, CVE-2013-3338, CVE-2013-3339, and CVE-2013-3340.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2021
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to the specified patches contain a memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability represents a distinct threat model from several other CVEs published in the same timeframe, indicating a complex attack surface within the Adobe Acrobat product line. The memory corruption issue arises from improper handling of certain input data structures within the PDF processing engine, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory layouts and execute malicious code. The vulnerability affects multiple product versions including Adobe Reader 9.x before 9.5.5, Adobe Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.7, and Adobe Reader 11.x before 11.0.03, suggesting a widespread issue across the product lifecycle. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious PDF documents that trigger memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable software. The unspecified vectors indicate that the attack could occur through various methods including malformed PDF objects, improper memory allocation handling, or incorrect buffer management during PDF parsing operations. This vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns found in software exploitation frameworks and represents a classic example of heap-based memory corruption that can be leveraged for privilege escalation or system compromise. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise and arbitrary code execution within the context of the vulnerable application.
The technical flaw manifests as improper memory management during PDF document processing, particularly in how the application handles certain data structures within PDF files. This type of vulnerability typically stems from insufficient bounds checking, improper memory deallocation, or incorrect pointer arithmetic within the PDF parsing components. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common CWE categories including CWE-125 Uncontrolled Buffer Access and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write, which are frequently exploited in similar memory corruption scenarios. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting malicious PDF documents that contain specially constructed data elements designed to trigger the memory corruption during normal document processing operations. The attack surface is particularly concerning because PDF files are widely distributed and frequently opened without user awareness of potential security risks. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions indicates that the underlying memory management issues were not properly addressed in the codebase, suggesting either incomplete patching or fundamental architectural problems in the PDF processing engine. The fact that this vulnerability is separate from other CVEs in the same advisory period suggests that multiple distinct code paths within the Adobe Acrobat engine contain memory corruption issues, increasing the overall risk surface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Adobe Reader and Acrobat for document processing and viewing. Successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable application. This creates a pathway for lateral movement within networks and potential escalation to administrative privileges. The vulnerability's exploitability is enhanced by the widespread use of Adobe Reader across enterprise environments, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to gain initial access to systems. Organizations may experience denial of service conditions when users encounter malicious PDF files, leading to productivity losses and potential business disruption. The vulnerability also creates risk for targeted attacks against high-value targets, as attackers can leverage the memory corruption to deploy sophisticated malware payloads. Security teams face challenges in detecting and mitigating this vulnerability due to the broad attack surface and the difficulty in creating effective network-based detection signatures. The vulnerability's presence in multiple product versions means that organizations must implement comprehensive patch management strategies across their entire user base, creating operational complexity and potential business disruption during remediation efforts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate deployment of patches provided by Adobe, which address the underlying memory corruption issues in the PDF processing engine. Organizations should implement network-based security controls to filter potentially malicious PDF files, particularly those received through email or web downloads. Security teams should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of Adobe Reader to trusted environments only. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify other potential memory corruption issues within the Adobe Acrobat suite. Network segmentation strategies should be employed to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. User education programs should emphasize the risks of opening PDF files from untrusted sources and the importance of keeping software updated. Incident response procedures should be updated to include specific handling of potential exploitation attempts related to this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for PDF processing to isolate potentially malicious documents from the main operating system. The implementation of these mitigations aligns with standard security frameworks including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and follows established best practices for managing memory corruption vulnerabilities. Regular monitoring of security advisories and threat intelligence feeds is essential to identify similar vulnerabilities that may affect other software components within the organization's environment.