CVE-2015-7624 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 bypass intended access restrictions and obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-5583, CVE-2015-6705, and CVE-2015-6706.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2024
This vulnerability affects Adobe Reader and Acrobat products across multiple versions, creating a critical access control bypass that allows attackers to obtain sensitive information through unspecified vectors. The flaw exists in the software's permission handling mechanisms, specifically within the document processing and access control components that govern how users interact with PDF files and their embedded content. The vulnerability impacts both Windows and macOS operating systems, indicating a cross-platform security weakness in Adobe's implementation of document access controls. Unlike other related vulnerabilities such as CVE-2015-5583, CVE-2015-6705, and CVE-2015-6706, this issue represents a distinct access restriction bypass that operates through different technical pathways, suggesting a fundamental weakness in the software's security architecture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability likely involves improper validation of access permissions within the PDF processing engine, potentially allowing malicious actors to circumvent intended document protection mechanisms. Attackers could exploit this weakness to access restricted content, view protected metadata, or obtain sensitive information that should be protected by document permissions. The unspecified vectors suggest that the attack could occur through various methods including malformed PDF files, specific document configurations, or manipulation of the document processing flow. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a significant weakness in Adobe's access control implementation that could enable information disclosure attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial, as it allows attackers to bypass intended security measures that protect sensitive information within PDF documents. Organizations using affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions face potential data exposure risks, particularly when handling documents containing confidential information, proprietary data, or restricted content. The vulnerability could be exploited in targeted attacks where adversaries craft specific PDF files designed to trigger the access bypass, or through social engineering campaigns where users unknowingly open malicious documents. This weakness particularly affects enterprise environments where PDF documents frequently contain sensitive business information, financial data, or classified materials that should remain protected from unauthorized access.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected systems to address the access control bypass vulnerability. Organizations must update to the patched versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat, specifically versions 10.1.16 and 11.0.13 for the classic versions, and the corresponding DC versions mentioned in the advisory. System administrators should implement strict document handling policies and consider deploying additional security controls such as PDF sandboxing, content filtering, and network-based protection systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing comprehensive security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing user education programs to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that could leverage this vulnerability, as the attack vectors may involve user interaction with malicious PDF documents. This vulnerability reinforces the critical need for regular security assessments and vulnerability management programs to identify and remediate access control weaknesses in enterprise software environments.