CVE-2016-0931 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.14, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30119, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.010.20056 on Windows and OS X allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted FileAttachment annotation, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0933, CVE-2016-0936, CVE-2016-0938, CVE-2016-0939, CVE-2016-0942, CVE-2016-0944, CVE-2016-0945, and CVE-2016-0946.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/03/2022
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability in their handling of FileAttachment annotations that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks. This vulnerability affects multiple product versions including legacy Acrobat and Reader releases before 11.0.14, as well as Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30119 and DC Continuous before 15.010.20056 across both Windows and macOS platforms. The flaw specifically manifests when processing maliciously crafted FileAttachment annotations within pdf documents, which can trigger heap-based buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions that adversaries can exploit to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. The vulnerability is distinct from several related issues including CVE-2016-0933 through CVE-2016-0946, indicating it represents a unique attack surface within the pdf processing engine. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and maps to attack techniques in the ATT&CK framework under T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1203 for exploitation for execution. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing of annotation objects where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to manipulate memory layout and potentially overwrite critical program structures. This vulnerability represents a significant risk for enterprise environments where pdf documents are frequently processed, as it can be triggered through simple email attachments or web downloads without requiring user interaction beyond opening the malicious document. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it leverages the legitimate pdf annotation functionality that users commonly encounter in business documents, making social engineering attacks more effective. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability as it provides attackers with a reliable path to arbitrary code execution within the context of the Acrobat application, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The remediation strategy should include immediate deployment of Adobe's security patches and implementation of pdf content filtering measures to prevent execution of suspicious annotation objects. Additionally, security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems that can identify exploitation attempts targeting the specific memory corruption patterns associated with this flaw.