CVE-2014-5315 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Help page in Adobe Acrobat 9.5.2 and earlier and ColdFusion 8.0.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5315 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Adobe Acrobat 9.5.2 and earlier versions along with ColdFusion 8.0.1 and earlier implementations. This security weakness resides within the Help page functionality of these applications, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of a user's browser session. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in the application's help interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that leverage the Help page's handling of user input, potentially leading to unauthorized actions performed on behalf of authenticated users.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2014-5315 follows established patterns for cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, which are categorized under CWE-79 in the Common Weakness Enumeration system. This particular flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious content without requiring authentication or privileged access to the affected systems. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable more sophisticated attacks including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the attack surface may encompass multiple input points within the Help page functionality, making the vulnerability particularly concerning from a security perspective as defenders cannot easily predict all potential attack pathways.
From an operational standpoint, the exploitation of this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on affected Adobe Acrobat and ColdFusion implementations. Users who interact with the Help pages of these applications become potential victims of phishing attacks, as attackers can craft malicious content that appears legitimate within the application context. The vulnerability can facilitate the compromise of user sessions, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive documents, financial data, or confidential business information. Organizations may experience reputational damage and regulatory compliance issues if successful attacks result in data breaches or unauthorized system access. The impact is amplified in enterprise environments where Acrobat and ColdFusion are widely deployed across multiple user endpoints and server configurations.
Security mitigations for CVE-2014-5315 should prioritize immediate patching of affected applications to the latest available versions that contain fixes for the XSS vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms within their web applications to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in custom code. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by restricting access to Help pages and other potentially vulnerable interfaces where possible. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. Security awareness training for users can help identify suspicious content that may indicate an active attack. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering attacks that often leverage XSS vulnerabilities to deliver malicious payloads. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in application code and configuration. Organizations should also implement proper logging and monitoring of user activities within vulnerable applications to detect potential exploitation attempts.