CVE-2016-1047 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-2016-1045, CVE-2016-1046, 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 use-after-free vulnerability exists in Adobe Reader and Acrobat products across multiple versions and operating systems, representing a critical memory safety flaw that enables remote code execution. The vulnerability occurs when the software attempts to access memory that has already been freed, creating a condition where attackers can manipulate the program's memory state to execute arbitrary code. This specific flaw differs from numerous other vulnerabilities in the same timeframe, indicating a distinct code path that was not addressed by previous patches, making it particularly concerning for security professionals who must maintain comprehensive vulnerability management strategies.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper memory management within the Adobe Acrobat processing engine, where objects are deallocated from memory but references to them persist in the application's memory space. When the application subsequently attempts to access these freed memory locations, it creates a scenario where malicious input can overwrite the freed memory with attacker-controlled data. This condition allows for the execution of arbitrary code with the privileges of the victim user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects both Windows and macOS platforms, demonstrating the cross-platform nature of the underlying memory management issue.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Adobe Acrobat products for document processing and viewing. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious PDF files that, when opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, trigger the memory corruption condition. The exploitation requires no user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or targeted attacks. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software applications, and represents a prime example of how memory safety issues can lead to privilege escalation and full system compromise.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual user exposure to organizational security risk, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to systems, escalate privileges, and potentially move laterally within network environments. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of ATT&CK framework's T1059 technique for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute malicious commands. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected Adobe products, implementation of PDF file scanning and filtering, and deployment of network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of Adobe products from untrusted sources, ensuring comprehensive protection against this and similar memory corruption vulnerabilities that could be exploited in zero-day attacks.