CVE-2014-9160 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple heap-based buffer overflows in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.14 and 11.x before 11.0.11 on Windows and OS X allow attackers to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/10/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9160 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 10.1.14 and 11.0.11 across Windows and macOS operating systems. This vulnerability resides within the document processing components of Adobe's PDF rendering engine, specifically targeting memory management functions that handle heap allocation and data handling during PDF file parsing operations. The flaw manifests when the application processes malformed PDF content that triggers improper buffer boundary checking, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves heap-based buffer overflows that occur during the processing of PDF objects and streams, particularly when handling compressed data or complex nested structures within PDF documents. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that, when opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, cause the application to write data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries in the heap memory space. This memory corruption can result in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable application, typically corresponding to the user's current session permissions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Adobe Reader for document processing, as it enables remote code execution attacks without requiring user interaction beyond opening a malicious document. The exploitability characteristics make this particularly dangerous in targeted attacks where adversaries can deliver malicious PDF files through email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites. The vulnerability affects both desktop and mobile platforms, with the Windows and macOS versions being equally susceptible to exploitation, making it a widespread concern for enterprise security teams.
The impact of successful exploitation can range from complete system compromise to data exfiltration and persistence mechanisms, as attackers can leverage the arbitrary code execution to install backdoors, escalate privileges, or establish command and control channels. Security researchers have noted that such heap-based buffer overflows often provide attackers with sufficient control over memory layout to bypass modern exploit mitigations like DEP and ASLR, particularly when the application does not employ proper stack canaries or memory protection mechanisms. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching and implement additional security controls such as PDF sandboxing, email filtering, and application whitelisting to reduce attack surface.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and maps to several ATT&CK techniques including initial access through malicious files, execution through legitimate user processes, and privilege escalation. The remediation strategy should focus on immediate patch deployment, application hardening, and network-based security controls to prevent exploitation attempts. Given the nature of the vulnerability, organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management systems and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other software components.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing challenges in securing complex document processing applications and highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches. Adobe's release of patches for this vulnerability included memory safety improvements and enhanced input validation mechanisms that address the underlying buffer overflow conditions. Security professionals should monitor for similar vulnerabilities in Adobe products and other PDF processing applications, as these types of memory corruption flaws continue to represent significant attack vectors in enterprise security environments.