CVE-2016-1050 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-2016-1047, CVE-2016-1048, CVE-2016-1049, 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
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1050 represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Reader and Acrobat software across multiple versions and platforms. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to reference memory locations after they have been freed, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate program execution flow. The affected software versions include Adobe Reader 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 both Windows and OS X operating systems. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416 as a Use After Free condition, which is a well-documented weakness in memory management that has been exploited in numerous security incidents throughout the software industry.
The exploitation of this vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems, representing a severe privilege escalation risk. Attackers can leverage this flaw through unspecified vectors that typically involve crafting malicious PDF files designed to trigger the vulnerable code path during document parsing. When the software processes these malicious documents, the use-after-free condition allows for memory corruption that can be manipulated to redirect program execution to attacker-controlled code. This particular vulnerability differs from several other CVEs in the same year, indicating it operates through distinct code paths and memory management patterns that make it particularly challenging to detect and prevent through standard security measures.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-1050 extends beyond simple code execution to potentially enable full system compromise. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to target systems, potentially leading to data exfiltration, persistence mechanisms, or further network infiltration. The vulnerability's presence in widely used software like Adobe Reader and Acrobat makes it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through social engineering campaigns targeting end users. The attack surface is broad given that these applications are commonly used for document sharing in enterprise environments, making the vulnerability a prime target for advanced persistent threat actors.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily involve applying the official patches released by Adobe, which address the underlying memory management issues in the affected software versions. Organizations should implement immediate remediation strategies including updating to the latest versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat, as well as deploying network-based security controls to detect and block suspicious PDF file transfers. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular software updates and vulnerability management programs, as it represents a classic example of how memory corruption vulnerabilities can be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving exploitation of vulnerabilities for privilege escalation and initial access, highlighting the need for comprehensive endpoint protection measures and user awareness training to prevent successful exploitation attempts.