CVE-2015-5089 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
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 allow attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-8450, CVE-2015-4449, CVE-2015-4450, CVE-2015-5088, and CVE-2015-5092.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2024
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to specific patch releases contain a critical access control vulnerability that enables attackers to circumvent intended security restrictions and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. This vulnerability affects multiple product lines including Adobe Reader 10.x before 10.1.15 and 11.x before 11.0.12, along with Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic and Continuous versions before their respective patch levels. The flaw operates through unspecified attack vectors that differ from related vulnerabilities such as CVE-2014-8450, CVE-2015-4449, CVE-2015-4450, CVE-2015-5088, and CVE-2015-5092, indicating a distinct exploitation mechanism. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-284 access control weakness category, specifically representing an improper access control scenario where the software fails to properly enforce access restrictions. The security implications are severe as attackers can bypass intended access controls to obtain sensitive information, potentially leading to data breaches or unauthorized system access. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability affects users running vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat on both Windows and OS X operating systems, creating a significant risk for organizations that rely on these applications for document processing and viewing. The attack surface is broad given the widespread deployment of Adobe Reader and Acrobat across enterprise environments and individual workstations. The vulnerability enables information disclosure through unauthorized access to protected resources, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005 for data from local system. Organizations using affected versions face potential exposure to malicious actors who can exploit this weakness to access confidential documents, user data, or system information that should remain protected. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it represents a fundamental failure in the application's security model, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or access additional system resources. Remediation requires immediate deployment of the vendor-provided patches for each affected product line, including the specific version numbers mentioned in the CVE description. Security administrators should prioritize this vulnerability in their patch management schedules due to its potential for significant data exposure and the fact that it affects widely used document processing applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing proper access control mechanisms within enterprise applications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability suggests a flaw in the application's permission handling or access validation logic that allows attackers to bypass intended security controls. Unlike other vulnerabilities in the same timeframe that may have focused on memory corruption or privilege escalation, this issue specifically targets access control mechanisms within Adobe's document processing software. The fact that this vulnerability affects both Windows and OS X platforms indicates a cross-platform implementation issue within Adobe's security framework. The unspecified attack vectors suggest that the vulnerability may be exploitable through multiple methods including crafted PDF files, embedded objects, or specific document structures that trigger the access control bypass. This type of vulnerability often stems from inadequate input validation or improper state management within the application's security subsystem. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-284 highlights the fundamental security architecture flaw where the system fails to properly enforce access restrictions, potentially allowing unauthorized access to protected resources. From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations that handle sensitive documents, as attackers can exploit it to access confidential information without proper authentication or authorization. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005, where adversaries extract data from local systems through unauthorized access methods. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple product versions and release cycles indicates a systemic issue within Adobe's security implementation that requires comprehensive remediation rather than isolated patching. Organizations should conduct immediate vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions and implement immediate mitigation measures while planning for full patch deployment. The cross-platform nature of the vulnerability means that security teams must coordinate patching efforts across different operating systems and application versions, adding complexity to the remediation process. The presence of this vulnerability in both legacy and newer DC versions suggests that the underlying access control implementation has not been adequately addressed across Adobe's product portfolio.