CVE-2014-0562 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.12 and 11.x before 11.0.09 on OS X allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, aka "Universal XSS (UXSS)."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0562 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 10.1.12 and 11.0.09 on macOS operating systems. This issue is classified as a Universal XSS vulnerability, indicating its broad impact across different attack vectors and contexts within the Adobe Acrobat ecosystem. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of a user's browser session, potentially compromising user data and system integrity. The vulnerability's designation as "Universal XSS" suggests that it bypasses standard security mechanisms designed to prevent cross-site scripting attacks, making it particularly dangerous for end users who frequently interact with PDF documents.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within Adobe Reader and Acrobat's PDF processing components. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files containing embedded scripts that exploit the XSS flaw when the document is opened or viewed within the affected software. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description indicate that the vulnerability can be triggered through various means including embedded JavaScript, form fields, or other interactive PDF elements. This lack of specific vector identification makes the vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against as it could potentially be exploited through multiple pathways within the PDF rendering engine. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically targeting the PDF viewer's handling of user-supplied content and its subsequent rendering in web contexts.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-0562 extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it can enable attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. When users open malicious PDF documents, the XSS payload can manipulate the browser context, potentially leading to full system compromise through secondary attacks. The vulnerability affects users across multiple versions of Adobe's software, creating widespread exposure across organizations that rely on Acrobat and Reader for document management. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform phishing attacks, steal sensitive information, or deploy additional malware payloads through the compromised browser sessions. The macOS-specific nature of the vulnerability means that users of Apple's operating system were particularly at risk, as the flaw exploited platform-specific behaviors within the PDF viewing environment. This vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the CWE-79 category for cross-site scripting, where improper neutralization of input during web page generation creates opportunities for malicious script injection.
Organizations and users should prioritize immediate remediation through the installation of Adobe's security patches for versions 10.1.12 and 11.0.09, as these releases contain the necessary fixes to address the Universal XSS vulnerability. Network administrators should implement content filtering solutions to prevent the delivery of potentially malicious PDF files, while security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis. The mitigation strategy should include user education about the risks of opening PDF files from untrusted sources, as well as regular security updates to maintain protection against similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing layered security approaches to protect against sophisticated attacks that can bypass traditional security controls. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for scripting, as it enables attackers to execute code through web-based interfaces, while also aligning with T1566 for phishing attacks that leverage document-based delivery mechanisms.