CVE-2013-3355 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 10.1.8 and 11.x before 11.0.04 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-2013-3352 and CVE-2013-3354.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2018
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 10.1.8 and 11.x versions before 11.0.04 contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution and denial of service attacks on both Windows and Mac OS X platforms. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw separate from the related CVE-2013-3352 and CVE-2013-3354 vulnerabilities, indicating multiple attack surfaces within the same software family. The unspecified vectors suggest that attackers can exploit this weakness through various means including malformed PDF files or maliciously crafted content that triggers improper memory handling during document processing. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability typically occurs when the application fails to properly validate or sanitize input data before processing it, leading to buffer overflows or other memory-related issues that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and potentially arbitrary code execution. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations that rely on Adobe Reader for document viewing, as attackers can craft malicious PDF documents that, when opened by an unpatched version of the software, will trigger the memory corruption and allow for remote code execution. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that PDF files are commonly shared via email, web downloads, and file transfers, making this vulnerability highly exploitable in real-world scenarios. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution to include potential denial of service conditions where the application may crash or become unresponsive, disrupting legitimate business operations. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat face substantial risk of compromise, as the vulnerability can be exploited without user interaction once a malicious PDF is opened. The security implications align with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of remote services and applications through memory corruption vulnerabilities. The memory corruption aspects of this vulnerability are particularly dangerous because they can be exploited to bypass modern security protections such as ASLR and DEP, allowing attackers to execute malicious payloads that would otherwise be blocked by these defenses. This vulnerability represents a classic example of how software vendors must maintain rigorous security testing and timely patch deployment to protect against exploits that can be developed and deployed rapidly by threat actors. The fact that this vulnerability exists in multiple versions of Adobe's software indicates a systemic issue in how the application handles memory management during PDF processing operations. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue places it within the broader category of heap-based buffer overflows and stack corruption problems that have historically been major sources of security breaches. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of all affected systems, as the window for exploitation is likely to be very short before automated attack tools are developed to take advantage of this vulnerability. The security community has identified this as a critical vulnerability requiring immediate remediation, with the patching process being essential to prevent potential exploitation by advanced persistent threat actors and nation-state attackers who regularly target such high-value software applications.