CVE-2015-5109 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow 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-2015-5097 and CVE-2015-5108.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5109 represents a critical integer overflow flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat products across multiple versions. This vulnerability specifically impacts Adobe Reader versions 10.x before 10.1.15 and 11.x before 11.0.12, as well as Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic versions before 2015.006.30060 and DC Continuous versions before 2015.008.20082 on both Windows and OS X operating systems. The integer overflow condition occurs within the software's handling of certain data structures, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted input can cause arithmetic operations to exceed the maximum value that can be represented by the integer data type, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential code execution.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and boundary checking within Adobe's document processing libraries. When processing specially crafted PDF files, the application fails to properly validate integer values used in memory allocation calculations or buffer size determinations. This flaw falls under CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper integer handling can lead to memory corruption vulnerabilities. The vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the application's memory management routines through carefully constructed input data that triggers the overflow condition, potentially leading to stack corruption, heap corruption, or other memory-related issues that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Adobe Reader and Acrobat for document processing and viewing. The attack surface is broad since PDF files are commonly shared across networks and email systems, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently open documents from external sources. The fact that this vulnerability affects multiple product versions and operating systems increases its exploitability potential, as attackers can target the most commonly used configurations. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1203, which covers "Exploitation for Client Execution," as it allows for code execution on victim machines through the exploitation of client-side applications. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution to potentially enable full system compromise, especially when combined with other exploitation techniques or when targeting privileged user accounts.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including prompt deployment of patches from Adobe, which were released to address the integer overflow conditions. System administrators should consider implementing additional security controls such as PDF sandboxing features, restricted file type handling, and network-based protections that can detect and block malicious PDF content. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and proper integer handling in software development practices, as highlighted by industry standards such as the CERT/CC Secure Coding Standards that emphasize proper bounds checking and overflow prevention techniques. Security teams should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing client-side exploit vulnerabilities. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar integer overflow conditions in other applications and systems within the organization's infrastructure.