CVE-2016-1061 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-2016-1058, CVE-2016-1059, CVE-2016-1060, 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
This use-after-free vulnerability exists in Adobe Reader and Acrobat products across multiple versions, specifically affecting Windows and macOS operating systems. The flaw occurs when the software processes certain maliciously crafted PDF files, leading to a scenario where memory that has been freed is still being accessed by the application. This particular vulnerability is distinct from several other related issues identified in the same timeframe, indicating a unique code path that was not addressed by previous patches. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices within the PDF processing engine, where objects are deallocated from memory but subsequent operations attempt to reference these freed memory locations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting a malicious PDF document that triggers the specific memory access pattern leading to the use-after-free condition. When a user opens such a document, the application's PDF parser processes the malformed content and executes code that causes memory deallocation followed by unauthorized memory access. This creates a predictable execution flow that attackers can leverage to inject and execute arbitrary code within the context of the running Adobe application. The vulnerability's impact is severe as it allows remote code execution without user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for targeted attacks. According to the CWE classification system, this represents a CWE-416 use-after-free vulnerability, which is categorized under memory safety issues and falls under the broader category of CWE-119 memory corruption vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework would classify this under T1059 command and control, specifically T1059.007 for Windows command shell, as attackers could potentially establish persistent access through this vector.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-1061 extends beyond simple exploitation as it provides attackers with a reliable method for achieving privilege escalation and system compromise. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to bypass security controls and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or establish persistent backdoors within affected systems. The vulnerability affects both the classic and continuous versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader, indicating a widespread issue across the product line that required multiple patch releases to address. Organizations running these vulnerable versions face significant risk, as the vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, and malicious websites. The fact that this vulnerability is distinct from other CVEs in the same timeframe suggests that the memory management flaw was not covered by existing mitigations for related issues, making it a particularly concerning security gap in Adobe's PDF processing capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching of all affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat installations across the organization. System administrators should prioritize deployment of the security updates released by Adobe, which specifically address the memory management issues causing the use-after-free condition. Additionally, organizations should implement content filtering measures to prevent users from opening suspicious PDF files, particularly those received via email or downloaded from untrusted sources. Network-level controls including web proxies and email security appliances should be configured to scan and block potentially malicious PDF content before it reaches end users. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual processes or memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all software applications, as the use-after-free condition represents a fundamental memory safety issue that can be exploited across multiple attack surfaces. Organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of unauthorized PDF processing applications and reduce the attack surface available to potential exploiters.