CVE-2014-8445 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.13 and 11.x before 11.0.10 on Windows and OS X allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-8446, CVE-2014-8447, CVE-2014-8456, CVE-2014-8458, CVE-2014-8459, CVE-2014-8461, and CVE-2014-9158.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2022
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 10.x prior to 10.1.13 and 11.x prior to 11.0.10 contain a memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution or denial of service when processing maliciously crafted PDF files on Windows and macOS operating systems. This vulnerability represents a distinct threat vector from several other related CVEs published in the same timeframe, indicating a broader class of memory safety issues within Adobe's PDF processing libraries. The unspecified attack vectors suggest that multiple code paths within the PDF parser could be exploited, potentially through malformed objects, improper memory handling during document parsing, or insufficient input validation. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-119 weakness category, which encompasses issues related to improper restriction of operations within a memory buffer, commonly manifesting as buffer overflows or memory corruption conditions. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to enterprise environments where Adobe Reader is widely deployed for document viewing, as attackers could craft malicious PDF files that trigger the memory corruption when opened by victims. The impact extends beyond simple exploitation to include potential denial of service scenarios where legitimate users could be disrupted by malformed documents. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability could potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application, leading to full system compromise. The threat landscape for this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploitation of software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation and persistent access. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, as the vulnerability allows for remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond opening a malicious document. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, while monitoring for unusual PDF processing activity may help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the persistent challenges in PDF parser security and the need for robust memory safety practices in document processing applications. Given the widespread use of Adobe Reader in enterprise environments, this vulnerability represents a critical threat that requires immediate remediation to prevent potential compromise of sensitive organizational data. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability suggests that attackers may be able to manipulate heap memory structures through carefully crafted PDF content, potentially leading to code execution or system instability. Security teams should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for PDF processing and maintaining up-to-date threat intelligence feeds to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.