CVE-2015-5113 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-2015-4448, CVE-2015-5095, CVE-2015-5099, CVE-2015-5101, CVE-2015-5111, and CVE-2015-5114.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5113 represents a critical use-after-free flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat products across multiple versions and platforms. This security weakness manifests in the software's handling of memory management operations where freed memory blocks are still accessed by subsequent operations, creating opportunities for malicious code execution. The affected versions include Adobe Reader 10.x prior to 10.1.15 and 11.x prior to 11.0.12, alongside Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 2015.006.30060 and DC Continuous before 2015.008.20082, impacting both windows and os x operating systems. This vulnerability operates under the common weakness enumeration CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions where software continues to reference memory after it has been freed, creating a fundamental memory safety issue that can be exploited by attackers.
The exploitation of this use-after-free vulnerability enables attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution within the context of the vulnerable application, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Attackers can leverage this flaw through unspecified vectors that typically involve crafting malicious pdf documents or other content that triggers the vulnerable memory management code path. The vulnerability's distinct nature from related CVEs such as CVE-2015-4448, CVE-2015-5095, CVE-2015-5099, CVE-2015-5101, CVE-2015-5111, and CVE-2015-5114 indicates it operates through different code paths or memory handling mechanisms, making it particularly concerning as it represents an additional attack surface for threat actors. The operational impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially enable full system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistence mechanisms within targeted environments.
From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Adobe Reader and Acrobat products for document processing and viewing. The use-after-free condition allows for reliable code execution, making it particularly attractive to attackers who can craft payloads that exploit this memory management flaw. The attack surface spans across multiple product versions and operating systems, increasing the potential impact and attack vectors available to threat actors. Organizations may find themselves vulnerable if they have not updated to the patched versions, as the vulnerability can be triggered through legitimate document viewing operations, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently open documents from external sources. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK framework would likely map to techniques involving privilege escalation and execution through exploitation of software vulnerabilities, with potential lateral movement capabilities once initial compromise is achieved.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of patches provided by Adobe for all affected versions of Reader and Acrobat products. Organizations should prioritize updating to the patched versions including Adobe Reader 10.1.15, 11.0.12, and the corresponding DC Classic and Continuous versions mentioned in the advisory. Additionally, implementing network-based security controls such as pdf content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection. Security teams should also consider monitoring for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability and implement regular vulnerability assessments to identify unpatched systems within their environments. The use of least privilege principles and limiting user permissions when opening documents can further reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.