CVE-2016-1045 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.16, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30172, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.016.20039 on Windows and OS X allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-1046, CVE-2016-1047, CVE-2016-1048, CVE-2016-1049, CVE-2016-1050, CVE-2016-1051, CVE-2016-1052, CVE-2016-1053, CVE-2016-1054, CVE-2016-1055, CVE-2016-1056, CVE-2016-1057, CVE-2016-1058, CVE-2016-1059, CVE-2016-1060, CVE-2016-1061, CVE-2016-1065, CVE-2016-1066, CVE-2016-1067, CVE-2016-1068, CVE-2016-1069, CVE-2016-1070, CVE-2016-1075, CVE-2016-1094, CVE-2016-1121, CVE-2016-1122, CVE-2016-4102, and CVE-2016-4107.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition that affects Adobe Reader and Acrobat products across multiple versions, specifically targeting Windows and macOS operating systems. The flaw occurs when the application processes certain malformed input data, leading to memory management issues that can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it exists in widely deployed software that handles PDF documents, which are commonly used for sharing files across various industries and organizations. The use-after-free condition arises when the application attempts to access memory that has already been freed, creating opportunities for memory corruption that can be leveraged to gain unauthorized control over the affected system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation processes within the PDF parsing components of Adobe's products. When processing maliciously crafted PDF files, the application's memory management routines fail to properly track object lifecycles, resulting in scenarios where freed memory blocks are accessed or overwritten by subsequent operations. This memory corruption can occur during various PDF processing activities such as parsing embedded objects, handling JavaScript execution, or managing complex graphics rendering operations. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software development. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting specially designed PDF documents that trigger the memory management error when opened or processed by the vulnerable software, potentially allowing for remote code execution without user interaction.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to gain full system control through remote exploitation. The attack surface is extensive given that Adobe Reader and Acrobat are installed on millions of systems globally, making this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise enterprise networks. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple product versions and release cycles indicates a fundamental flaw in the memory management architecture that requires comprehensive patching across all affected platforms. Organizations using these applications face significant risk of data breaches, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within their networks. The vulnerability's classification within the ATT&CK framework would fall under T1059 for command and script interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, representing a critical entry point for attackers seeking to establish persistent access to target systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patch deployment across all affected Adobe products, with particular attention to the specific version numbers mentioned in the CVE description. Organizations should implement network segmentation and application whitelisting to limit the potential impact of exploitation attempts, while also monitoring for suspicious PDF file activity. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, and establish automated patch management processes to ensure timely remediation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices in software development, highlighting the need for regular security code reviews and memory safety testing. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing sandboxing technologies for PDF processing and establishing incident response procedures specifically designed to handle use-after-free exploitation attempts, as these vulnerabilities often serve as initial access vectors for more sophisticated attack campaigns targeting enterprise environments.