CVE-2015-6694 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.16 and 11.x before 11.0.13, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 2015.006.30094, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 2015.009.20069 on Windows and OS X allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via crafted use of the fillColor attribute, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-6685, CVE-2015-6686, CVE-2015-6693, CVE-2015-6695, and CVE-2015-7622.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2022
Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions prior to 10.1.16 and 11.0.13 on Windows and OS X systems contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability in the handling of the fillColor attribute within PDF documents. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from several other related issues affecting the same software suite, including CVE-2015-6685 through CVE-2015-7622, indicating that attackers can exploit this specific memory handling issue to achieve arbitrary code execution or cause system denial of service. The flaw occurs when the application processes crafted PDF files containing maliciously constructed fillColor attribute values, leading to improper memory management and potential code execution in the context of the current user. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read category, where the application reads memory beyond the intended buffer boundaries, and can be classified as a memory corruption issue that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. The attack vector requires a user to open a specially crafted PDF document, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or targeted attacks where social engineering plays a significant role. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability means that attackers can manipulate the application's memory layout to execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This issue affects both the traditional Acrobat and Reader versions as well as the newer DC Classic and DC Continuous releases, demonstrating the widespread nature of the flaw across Adobe's product line. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service to include potential remote code execution, making it a critical concern for enterprise environments where PDF documents are frequently opened and processed. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat should immediately implement patch management procedures to update to the latest versions, as the exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and system compromise. The flaw's presence in both Windows and OS X platforms indicates that this is a cross-platform vulnerability requiring attention across multiple operating system environments, and the fact that it's separate from other CVEs suggests that it requires specific mitigation strategies rather than general security updates. Security professionals should monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability, particularly unusual memory access patterns or unexpected application behavior when processing PDF documents, as these may signal exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue makes it particularly challenging to detect through standard signature-based security solutions, requiring more advanced behavioral analysis and sandboxing techniques to identify potentially malicious PDF content before it can be processed by vulnerable applications.