CVE-2016-0933 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 unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0931, 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 versions prior to 11.0.14, along with Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30119 and DC Continuous before 15.010.20056 on both Windows and OS X platforms contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks. This vulnerability represents a distinct threat vector from several other CVEs published in the same advisory cycle, specifically excluding CVE-2016-0931, CVE-2016-0936, CVE-2016-0938, CVE-2016-0939, CVE-2016-0942, CVE-2016-0944, CVE-2016-0945, and CVE-2016-0946, indicating that this flaw operates through different exploitation techniques and code paths. The unspecified attack vectors suggest that the memory corruption occurs through multiple potential entry points within the Adobe PDF processing engine, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could be triggered through various document manipulation techniques. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and may also relate to CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write conditions that can lead to arbitrary code execution. From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from untrusted sources, as it allows attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the victim user. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability means that attackers can potentially overwrite critical memory locations, leading to system instability or complete compromise. The attack surface extends across multiple operating systems, including both Windows and OS X platforms, making it a cross-platform threat that requires comprehensive patch management strategies. The vulnerability's potential for remote code execution through PDF document manipulation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution through various document-based attack vectors. Organizations should implement immediate patching strategies, as this vulnerability could be actively exploited in the wild, and consider network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's nature as a memory corruption flaw suggests that it may be exploitable through techniques such as heap spraying, stack overflow manipulation, or other advanced exploitation methods that leverage the PDF parser's handling of malformed or specially crafted PDF files. Given the widespread use of Adobe Reader and Acrobat across enterprise environments, this vulnerability represents a critical security concern requiring immediate remediation and monitoring for potential exploitation attempts.