CVE-2014-8455 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.13 and 11.x before 11.0.10 on Windows and OS X allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-8454 and CVE-2014-9165.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2022
The CVE-2014-8455 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 10.x prior to 10.1.13 and 11.x prior to 11.0.10 across Windows and macOS platforms. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free, where a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, creating exploitable conditions that can lead to arbitrary code execution. The flaw manifests through unspecified attack vectors that differ from related vulnerabilities CVE-2014-8454 and CVE-2014-9165, indicating a distinct code path within the Adobe applications that requires separate remediation approaches.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory management errors within the PDF processing engine of Adobe Reader and Acrobat applications. When processing maliciously crafted PDF documents, the applications fail to properly manage memory references, allowing attackers to manipulate freed memory locations and potentially overwrite critical program structures or execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through simple document opening actions, making it a prime target for phishing attacks and social engineering campaigns.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to enterprise environments where Adobe Reader remains widely deployed for document viewing and collaboration. The exploitability of this flaw means that adversaries could gain remote code execution capabilities on target systems simply by enticing users to open malicious PDF files. The impact extends beyond individual user compromise to potential network-wide infiltration, especially when considering that many organizations rely on Adobe Reader for viewing documents containing sensitive information or for business-critical workflows. The vulnerability's presence in both Windows and macOS environments increases its attack surface and requires cross-platform remediation strategies.
Organizations should implement immediate patch management protocols to upgrade to Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 10.1.13 and 11.0.10 respectively, as these releases contain the necessary fixes for the use-after-free condition. Additional mitigations include implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of unauthorized PDF viewers, deploying sandboxing technologies to contain potential exploitation attempts, and establishing user awareness programs to prevent opening suspicious documents. Security teams should also consider network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify and block known malicious PDF file patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, highlighting the importance of layered defensive measures including endpoint protection, network monitoring, and user education to prevent successful exploitation attempts.