CVE-2015-4448 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.15 and 11.x before 11.0.12, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 2015.006.30060, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 2015.008.20082 on Windows and OS X allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-5095, CVE-2015-5099, CVE-2015-5101, CVE-2015-5111, CVE-2015-5113, and CVE-2015-5114.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2022
The CVE-2015-4448 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat products across multiple versions and operating systems. This vulnerability specifically impacts Adobe Reader versions 10.x before 10.1.15 and 11.x before 11.0.12, along with Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 2015.006.30060 and DC Continuous before 2015.008.20082 on both Windows and OS X platforms. The flaw stems from improper memory management where freed memory locations are still referenced by the application, creating a condition that attackers can exploit to execute arbitrary code. This vulnerability operates as a distinct threat vector from several other related CVEs including CVE-2015-5095, CVE-2015-5099, CVE-2015-5101, CVE-2015-5111, CVE-2015-5113, and CVE-2015-5114, indicating a unique exploitation pathway that requires separate remediation approaches.
The technical nature of this use-after-free vulnerability falls under CWE-416, which specifically addresses the use of freed memory conditions in software applications. This particular flaw occurs when the Adobe Reader or Acrobat application handles certain malformed PDF objects that trigger memory deallocation followed by subsequent memory access attempts. Attackers can craft malicious PDF documents containing specially constructed objects that, when processed by the vulnerable software, cause the application to free memory regions and then attempt to access those same regions, leading to potential code execution. The vulnerability typically manifests through the processing of embedded objects, JavaScript execution, or complex graphics rendering within PDF files, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently open untrusted documents.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-4448 extends beyond simple code execution to represent a significant threat vector for enterprise security environments. Organizations running affected Adobe products face potential compromise through social engineering attacks where users open malicious PDF attachments, or through targeted attacks against specific user groups. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, or deploy additional malware payloads. Given that Adobe Reader and Acrobat are widely deployed across corporate networks for document viewing and processing, this vulnerability creates a substantial attack surface that adversaries can leverage to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The cross-platform nature of the vulnerability affects both Windows and OS X environments, increasing the potential impact across diverse computing infrastructures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-4448 should prioritize immediate patch deployment as the primary remediation approach, with Adobe releasing updates specifically addressing this vulnerability in versions 10.1.15, 11.0.12, and their respective DC versions. Security administrators should implement additional protective measures including PDF document filtering, sandboxing environments for PDF processing, and network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-416 and its potential for arbitrary code execution aligns with ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and execution through malicious documents. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of vulnerable Adobe products and establish incident response procedures for detecting potential exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on anomalous PDF processing activities and unexpected code execution patterns that may indicate successful exploitation of this use-after-free condition.