CVE-2013-3346 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, CVE-2013-3340, and CVE-2013-3341.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2026
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 model from numerous other CVEs published in the same timeframe, indicating a separate code path or implementation flaw within the affected software components. The memory corruption issue arises from improper handling of malformed input data within the PDF processing engine, which can be triggered when parsing maliciously crafted PDF documents. Attackers can exploit this weakness by embedding specially constructed data structures or malformed objects within PDF files that, when processed by the vulnerable software, cause memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects multiple major versions of Adobe's PDF reader and editor applications, creating a wide attack surface across enterprise and consumer environments. This flaw aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability can be leveraged through social engineering campaigns where attackers distribute malicious PDF files via email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites. The attack typically requires user interaction to open the malicious document, making it a prime target for phishing operations. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability also makes it suitable for exploitation using techniques aligned with the attack tactic of execution within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically targeting the execution phase where adversaries seek to run malicious code on target systems. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected versions to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability provides attackers with a direct path to system compromise without requiring additional exploitation primitives. The lack of specific vector details in the CVE description suggests that the vulnerability may be present across multiple parsing functions within the PDF engine, potentially affecting various document elements including images, fonts, and embedded objects. This broad impact area increases the likelihood of successful exploitation and makes comprehensive mitigation challenging without full patch deployment across all affected systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within Adobe's PDF processing libraries. When the vulnerable software encounters malformed data structures during PDF parsing, the memory management routines fail to properly handle the unexpected input, leading to buffer overflows or heap corruption. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in PDF readers because these applications must process complex binary formats with extensive metadata and embedded content, creating numerous potential entry points for malicious data manipulation. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue places it within the category of heap-based buffer overflows, which are commonly exploited in zero-day attacks due to their ability to provide direct control over program execution flow. Security researchers have noted that such vulnerabilities often require minimal user interaction to exploit, making them particularly attractive to threat actors conducting large-scale campaigns. The fact that this vulnerability exists across multiple major versions indicates a fundamental flaw in the codebase rather than isolated implementation errors, suggesting that the underlying parsing logic may have been affected by a common code module or library that was shared across different software versions. This characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly difficult to address through partial code fixes and requires comprehensive patching of the affected software components. Organizations should implement network-based mitigations such as PDF file filtering and sandboxing measures while awaiting full patch deployment, as these approaches can help reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. The vulnerability's potential for causing denial of service attacks means that even unsuccessful exploitation attempts can render affected systems unusable, creating additional operational impact beyond direct compromise scenarios.