CVE-2015-5092 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-2015-5089.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2024
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 10.1.15 and 11.0.12 respectively, along with specific DC Classic and DC Continuous releases, contain a critical access control vulnerability that enables unauthorized information disclosure. This flaw exists within the software's permission handling mechanisms and allows attackers to circumvent intended security boundaries that should restrict access to sensitive data. The vulnerability operates through unspecified attack vectors that differ from several other documented weaknesses in the same software family, indicating a distinct code path or implementation flaw. The affected platforms include both Windows and OS X operating systems, suggesting the vulnerability is present at the application level rather than being platform-specific. This type of access bypass represents a fundamental failure in the software's security model where legitimate access controls are not properly enforced, potentially allowing unauthorized users to access protected content or system resources.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common access control weaknesses documented in CWE-284, which describes improper access control scenarios where systems fail to properly enforce authorization mechanisms. The flaw likely involves insufficient validation of user permissions or inadequate checks during resource access operations, enabling attackers to exploit legitimate application functions to obtain information they should not be permitted to access. The vulnerability's classification as a different issue from CVE-2014-8450, CVE-2015-4449, CVE-2015-4450, CVE-2015-5088, and CVE-2015-5089 indicates that while multiple vulnerabilities exist in the same software family, this particular flaw operates through a different code path or implementation approach. Attackers could potentially leverage this weakness to access restricted documents, system information, or other sensitive data that should be protected by the application's access control policies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it represents a potential entry point for more sophisticated attacks within targeted environments. Organizations using affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions face significant risk of data breaches, especially in environments where sensitive documents are processed regularly. The vulnerability could enable attackers to access confidential business information, personal data, or proprietary content that should be protected by the application's security controls. From an attacker's perspective, this weakness provides a pathway to escalate privileges or gather intelligence that could be used in subsequent attacks. The vulnerability's presence in both legacy and newer DC versions demonstrates that Adobe's security team had not fully addressed access control issues across their product line, potentially creating a persistent threat vector for attackers targeting organizations with outdated software installations.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability through patch management procedures, ensuring all affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat installations are updated to the latest versions. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive vulnerability scanning to identify all instances of the affected software across the organization's infrastructure. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures to address any successful exploitation attempts. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of potentially vulnerable software and deploy additional access control measures to reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as an access control bypass aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials for unauthorized access, making it particularly concerning for organizations with robust credential management systems.