CVE-2015-7622 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 unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-6685, CVE-2015-6686, CVE-2015-6693, CVE-2015-6694, and CVE-2015-6695.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2024
This vulnerability affects Adobe Reader and Acrobat software across multiple versions, representing a critical memory corruption flaw that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to 10.1.16 for 10.x series, 11.0.13 for 11.x series, and specific builds of Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic and Continuous releases. The flaw manifests through unspecified attack vectors that differ from several other CVEs in the same year, indicating a distinct code path or memory handling issue within the software's processing mechanisms. This vulnerability impacts both Windows and macOS operating systems, demonstrating the cross-platform nature of the memory corruption issue.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves memory corruption that can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. Memory corruption vulnerabilities typically arise from improper handling of memory allocation, deallocation, or access patterns within software applications. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that, when opened by vulnerable Adobe Reader or Acrobat versions, trigger buffer overflows, heap corruption, or other memory-related anomalies that allow for code execution. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack surfaces within the PDF processing engine could be exploited, potentially including parsing of different PDF elements such as images, fonts, or embedded objects.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to achieve remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond opening a malicious document. This creates a significant risk for organizations where users may inadvertently open compromised PDF files from email attachments, web downloads, or other sources. The vulnerability can result in complete system compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation. Organizations relying on Adobe Reader for document viewing face particular risk, as the software is widely deployed across enterprise environments and user endpoints. The memory corruption nature also means that the vulnerability could potentially lead to system crashes or denial of service conditions, affecting availability of critical document processing capabilities.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions to the latest releases containing the security fixes. Organizations should implement strict document validation policies, including sandboxing PDF viewing environments and restricting user access to potentially malicious content. Network-based controls such as web application firewalls and email filtering solutions can help detect and block malicious PDF files before they reach end users. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual PDF processing activities or system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and may also relate to CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are common in memory corruption vulnerabilities. This issue corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploiting software vulnerabilities, and T1059, covering command and scripting interpreters, as successful exploitation would likely involve executing malicious code on compromised systems.