CVE-2015-3048 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.14 and 11.x before 11.0.11 on Windows and OS X allows 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-2015-3048 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 10.x prior to 10.1.14 and 11.x prior to 11.0.11 on both Windows and macOS operating systems. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows malicious data to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The flaw manifests when the affected software processes specially crafted PDF files that contain malformed data structures, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory contents and potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the targeted user.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves attackers crafting malicious PDF documents that trigger the buffer overflow condition during document parsing operations. When Adobe Reader or Acrobat attempts to process these malformed documents, the insufficient input validation allows attackers to overwrite stack memory regions, potentially corrupting return addresses and control flow information. This memory corruption can be leveraged to redirect program execution to attacker-controlled code, enabling remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond opening the malicious document. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it affects the core PDF rendering functionality that users frequently encounter in business and personal environments.
From an operational perspective, the vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise security infrastructure as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized code execution capabilities on targeted systems. The attack surface is broad since PDF files are commonly shared through email attachments, web downloads, and document repositories, making successful exploitation highly probable. Organizations utilizing Adobe Reader and Acrobat for document processing face elevated risk of data breaches, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within their networks. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no special privileges beyond the ability to deliver a malicious PDF file, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users regularly open documents from untrusted sources.
Security mitigations for CVE-2015-3048 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment and application of Adobe's security updates. Organizations should prioritize updating to Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 10.1.14 and 11.0.11 respectively, as these releases contain the necessary fixes to prevent the buffer overflow conditions. Additional defensive measures include implementing PDF sandboxing features, restricting user permissions when processing PDF documents, and deploying network-based security controls such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to execute malicious code on target systems. Organizations should also consider implementing email security solutions that scan and block suspicious PDF attachments, as well as establishing security awareness training to reduce the likelihood of users opening potentially malicious documents.