CVE-2016-0942 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-2016-0933, CVE-2016-0936, CVE-2016-0938, CVE-2016-0939, 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 have long been targets for sophisticated cyber attacks due to their widespread use and the complex nature of their PDF processing engines. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0942 represents a critical memory corruption flaw that affects multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software across both Windows and macOS operating systems. This vulnerability specifically impacts Adobe Reader versions prior to 11.0.14 and Acrobat versions before 15.006.30119, as well as the Classic and Continuous variants of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. The flaw allows attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code on affected systems or cause denial of service conditions through unspecified attack vectors that differ from several other vulnerabilities disclosed in the same timeframe.
The technical nature of this memory corruption vulnerability stems from improper handling of malformed PDF objects during the parsing and rendering process. When Adobe Reader or Acrobat encounters specially crafted PDF files containing maliciously constructed data structures, the software's memory management mechanisms fail to properly validate input parameters, leading to buffer overflows, heap corruption, or other memory-related issues. These conditions create opportunities for attackers to manipulate the execution flow of the application and potentially gain control over the affected system. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities that can lead to memory corruption. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that PDF files are commonly shared via email attachments, web downloads, and document repositories where users may unknowingly open malicious content.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-0942 extends beyond simple exploitation scenarios to encompass significant enterprise security risks. Organizations relying on Adobe Reader and Acrobat for document processing face potential compromise of their endpoints when users open infected PDF documents. The vulnerability's ability to cause denial of service means that legitimate users may experience application crashes or system instability, disrupting business operations. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability provides a pathway for privilege escalation and persistent access to target systems, as demonstrated by various threat actor campaigns that have exploited similar memory corruption flaws in Adobe products. The vulnerability's presence in both classic and continuous delivery models of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC indicates that organizations must consider multiple update strategies to ensure comprehensive protection across their enterprise environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-0942 require immediate action from organizations to patch affected systems and implement additional security controls. The primary recommendation involves applying the official security patches released by Adobe, which address the underlying memory corruption issues through improved input validation and memory management routines. Organizations should also consider implementing PDF sandboxing features, restricting user access to potentially malicious content, and deploying email filtering solutions that can identify and block suspicious PDF attachments. Network-based defenses such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.007, which covers scripting languages for execution, may be relevant in analyzing how attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access. Additionally, implementing user education programs to raise awareness about phishing attempts and suspicious document attachments remains crucial in defending against exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities.