CVE-2015-3047 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
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 cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2022
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 10.x prior to 10.1.14 and 11.x prior to 11.0.11 contain a critical NULL pointer dereference vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against systems. This vulnerability exists within the software's handling of malformed or specially crafted input data during document processing operations. The flaw manifests when the application attempts to access a memory location referenced by a NULL pointer, causing an application crash and system instability. The vulnerability affects both Windows and macOS operating systems, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where these applications are widely deployed. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability can be triggered through multiple attack paths including malicious PDF files, embedded objects, or malformed document elements that the application fails to properly validate or sanitize.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability falls under CWE-476 which specifically addresses NULL pointer dereference conditions in software applications. This weakness represents a fundamental programming error where developers fail to check if a pointer contains a valid memory address before attempting to dereference it. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where the Adobe Reader and Acrobat applications process PDF documents, making it a prime target for exploitation through social engineering campaigns or automated scanning tools. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that, when opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, will trigger the NULL pointer dereference and cause the application to crash. This behavior aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 which describes the use of application crashes and errors to achieve denial of service effects.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3047 extends beyond simple application instability to encompass significant business continuity risks. Organizations that rely heavily on Adobe Reader for document processing may experience widespread service disruption when attackers exploit this vulnerability through targeted email campaigns or web-based attacks. The vulnerability's prevalence in widely used software versions means that even organizations with robust security measures may be affected if their users open malicious documents. System administrators face challenges in maintaining availability of document processing services while ensuring that all users have updated to patched versions. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of timely patch management and application security monitoring. Organizations with strict compliance requirements may face regulatory scrutiny if their systems are compromised through this type of denial of service attack. The impact is particularly severe in environments where document processing is critical to business operations, such as legal, financial, or healthcare organizations that depend on secure document handling and review processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3047 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment and application hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize updating to Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 10.1.14 and 11.0.11 respectively, which contain the necessary code fixes to prevent the NULL pointer dereference condition. Network administrators should implement email filtering and web proxy controls to prevent users from accessing potentially malicious PDF files from untrusted sources. The implementation of application whitelisting policies can help prevent execution of unpatched versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of opening PDF files from unknown sources and the importance of maintaining updated software versions. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should include verification that systems are not running vulnerable versions of Adobe applications. The vulnerability also highlights the need for comprehensive application security testing and code review processes to identify and remediate similar NULL pointer dereference conditions in other software components.