CVE-2014-9158 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-2014-8458, CVE-2014-8459, and CVE-2014-8461.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2024
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 attacks on both Windows and macOS operating systems. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from several other related vulnerabilities in the same year, specifically excluding CVE-2014-8445 through CVE-2014-8461, which indicates that the flaw operates through different attack vectors or code paths within the software. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple potential entry points exist within the application's processing of PDF files, making the vulnerability particularly concerning from a threat modeling perspective. This memory corruption issue typically arises when the application fails to properly validate input data or manage memory allocation during PDF parsing operations, creating opportunities for malicious actors to craft specially crafted PDF documents that trigger buffer overflows or other memory-related anomalies. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are typical manifestations of memory corruption flaws in software applications. From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations relying on Adobe Reader for document processing, as attackers could exploit it to execute arbitrary code on targeted systems or cause application crashes that lead to denial of service conditions. The attack surface expands considerably when considering that PDF files are commonly shared through email attachments, web downloads, and document management systems, making this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise endpoints. The exploitability of such memory corruption vulnerabilities often follows patterns consistent with the attack technique framework, where adversaries may leverage techniques such as code injection or privilege escalation to achieve their objectives. Organizations should understand that this vulnerability can be exploited without user interaction in many scenarios, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through automated means or when users simply open maliciously crafted PDF documents. The remediation strategy involves immediate deployment of patches provided by Adobe, specifically upgrading to versions 10.1.13 for 10.x releases and 11.0.10 for 11.x releases, which address the underlying memory handling issues. Security teams should implement comprehensive monitoring for suspicious PDF file handling activities and consider network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software in enterprise environments, as the memory corruption nature suggests that the flaw could be leveraged for privilege escalation or persistent access to compromised systems. This particular vulnerability also highlights the challenges in securing document processing applications, which must handle complex file formats while maintaining robust input validation and memory management practices. The attack patterns associated with such flaws often involve social engineering components where users are诱导 to open malicious documents, making user education and awareness programs essential alongside technical mitigations. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms and application whitelisting to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The remediation process requires careful testing of patches in controlled environments before widespread deployment, as the nature of PDF processing applications means that updates could potentially introduce compatibility issues with legitimate document workflows. This vulnerability underscores the ongoing challenge of securing software applications against sophisticated attacks that exploit memory corruption flaws, particularly in widely deployed applications like Adobe Reader that process untrusted input from diverse sources.