CVE-2015-7615 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in a SaveAs feature in 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 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-5586, CVE-2015-6683, CVE-2015-6684, CVE-2015-6687, CVE-2015-6688, CVE-2015-6689, CVE-2015-6690, CVE-2015-6691, CVE-2015-7617, and CVE-2015-7621.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2024
The CVE-2015-7615 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within Adobe Reader and Acrobat's SaveAs functionality across multiple product versions and operating systems. This vulnerability specifically affects Adobe Reader 10.x versions prior to 10.1.16 and 11.x versions prior to 11.0.13, alongside Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 2015.006.30094 and DC Continuous before 2015.009.20069 on both Windows and OS X platforms. The flaw arises from improper memory management during the SaveAs operation, creating conditions where freed memory locations can be accessed and potentially overwritten by malicious code.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of use-after-free conditions, which occurs when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential code execution. Attackers exploit this weakness by crafting malicious PDF files that trigger the SaveAs functionality, causing the application to free memory associated with certain objects and then subsequently access that same memory location. This creates a scenario where attackers can manipulate the freed memory to inject and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running Adobe application.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7615 is severe as it allows remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond opening a malicious document. The vulnerability affects widely used software across enterprise and individual users, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on Adobe Reader for document handling. Attackers can leverage this flaw to install malware, establish backdoors, or escalate privileges within compromised systems. The vulnerability's exploitation is facilitated by the fact that it operates through the SaveAs feature, which is a common user function that may be triggered automatically during document processing or through social engineering tactics.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7615 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment and application hardening measures. Adobe released security updates for all affected versions, and organizations should prioritize applying these patches across their infrastructure. Additional protective measures include implementing application whitelisting policies, configuring Adobe Reader in sandboxed environments, disabling the SaveAs functionality where possible, and employing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can execute arbitrary code through the compromised application. Organizations should also consider implementing privileged access management controls and regular security assessments to identify potential exploitation vectors. The widespread nature of this vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in other software components.