CVE-2014-8458 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-2014-8445, CVE-2014-8446, CVE-2014-8447, CVE-2014-8456, 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 critical memory corruption vulnerability on both Windows and macOS operating systems that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from several other related vulnerabilities in the same year, including CVE-2014-8445 through CVE-2014-9158, which collectively demonstrate Adobe's ongoing struggles with memory safety issues in their PDF processing libraries. The unspecified attack vectors suggest that this vulnerability could be triggered through multiple code paths within the PDF parsing engine, potentially through malformed PDF files or maliciously crafted embedded objects that exploit memory handling errors in the application's processing routines.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within Adobe's PDF rendering components, where buffer overflows or memory corruption conditions can occur when processing specially crafted PDF content. These memory corruption issues typically arise when the application attempts to write data beyond allocated memory boundaries or when it fails to properly validate input data structures before processing them. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common CWE entries such as CWE-121 for heap-based buffer overflow and CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read conditions, which are frequently encountered in PDF processing libraries due to the complex nature of the PDF format and its numerous object types. The attack surface is particularly concerning as PDF files are widely distributed through email attachments, web downloads, and document sharing platforms, making exploitation highly likely in targeted phishing campaigns or mass distribution attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise capabilities, as attackers can leverage memory corruption flaws to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected user. This represents a significant concern for enterprise environments where Adobe Reader is commonly installed and used for document review, as successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or the establishment of persistent backdoors. The vulnerability's presence in both Windows and macOS platforms indicates that attackers have cross-platform targeting capabilities, while the fact that it affects both Reader and Acrobat applications suggests that the underlying memory corruption exists in the core PDF processing libraries shared between these products. Organizations running affected versions face substantial risk exposure, particularly in environments where users regularly open PDF documents from untrusted sources or where the applications are used in high-privilege contexts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patch deployment through Adobe's security updates, which address the specific memory corruption issues in the PDF processing engine. Organizations should implement comprehensive endpoint protection measures including sandboxing mechanisms, email filtering solutions, and web application firewalls to prevent users from accessing potentially malicious PDF content. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls and regular security awareness training for users can help reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability and consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious PDF-related traffic patterns. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions and prioritize remediation efforts based on risk exposure and criticality of the affected systems. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the need for layered defensive strategies in protecting against sophisticated attack vectors targeting widely-used applications.