CVE-2016-1058 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-2016-1050, CVE-2016-1051, CVE-2016-1052, CVE-2016-1053, CVE-2016-1054, CVE-2016-1055, CVE-2016-1056, CVE-2016-1057, 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 • 10/20/2024
The CVE-2016-1058 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat products across multiple versions and operating systems. This vulnerability resides within the memory management mechanisms of Adobe's document processing software, specifically in how the applications handle memory allocation and deallocation for objects within PDF files. The flaw manifests when the software attempts to access memory that has already been freed, creating a condition where malicious actors can manipulate the application's memory state to execute arbitrary code. This particular vulnerability is distinct from numerous other issues affecting the same product lines, indicating a unique code path or implementation flaw that requires specific mitigation approaches. The vulnerability affects both Windows and macOS operating systems, demonstrating the cross-platform nature of the memory management issue within Adobe's PDF processing engine.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2016-1058 involves leveraging the use-after-free condition to gain control over program execution flow through memory corruption techniques. When a PDF document is processed, the affected Adobe applications may encounter specific object structures that trigger the memory deallocation process, followed by subsequent access to the same memory region. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that manipulate object references and memory pointers to force the application into executing code from controlled memory locations. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software implementations. The exploitation typically requires social engineering to deliver the malicious payload, as users must open the crafted PDF file for the vulnerability to be triggered. The attack vector often involves manipulation of PDF objects, streams, or cross-reference tables that cause the application to improperly manage memory allocation during document parsing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends significantly beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with potential access to complete system compromise. Once successfully exploited, the malicious code can run with the privileges of the Adobe Reader or Acrobat process, which typically operates with user-level permissions but may have access to system resources and file operations. The vulnerability's presence in both the classic and continuous delivery versions of Adobe Acrobat DC indicates a fundamental flaw in the core PDF processing libraries shared across these product variants. Organizations relying on Adobe's PDF processing capabilities face substantial risk, as the vulnerability can be exploited through various attack scenarios including email attachments, web downloads, and document sharing platforms. The widespread adoption of Adobe Reader across enterprise environments makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and lateral movement within networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-1058 should prioritize immediate patch deployment as the primary defense mechanism, with Adobe releasing updates specifically addressing the memory management flaw in affected versions. Organizations should implement network-based protections such as PDF content filtering and sandboxing solutions to prevent execution of potentially malicious documents before they reach end-user systems. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK framework category T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) highlights the need for endpoint detection and response capabilities that can identify anomalous memory access patterns or code injection attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of Adobe applications to trusted environments and disable unnecessary PDF features that may contribute to the vulnerability surface. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of only opening PDF documents from trusted sources and maintaining current software versions to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include verification of patch compliance and testing of memory corruption defenses to ensure comprehensive protection against this and similar use-after-free vulnerabilities.