CVE-2016-1067 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-2016-1061, CVE-2016-1065, CVE-2016-1066, 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 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in Adobe Reader and Acrobat products that affects multiple versions across different operating systems. The flaw occurs when the application processes certain maliciously crafted PDF files, leading to memory management issues where freed memory locations are still accessed by subsequent operations. This particular vulnerability is distinct from a series of related issues affecting the same software ecosystem, indicating a unique code path or implementation error within the PDF parsing components. The vulnerability exists in both the traditional Acrobat and Reader DC Classic versions as well as the newer Continuous delivery model, suggesting it stems from core memory management functions rather than specific feature implementations.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves attackers crafting specially formatted PDF documents that trigger the use-after-free condition during normal document processing operations. When Adobe Reader or Acrobat encounters such malformed input, the application's memory management routines fail to properly track memory allocation and deallocation, resulting in a scenario where freed memory blocks are accessed again. This memory corruption allows attackers to manipulate the program's execution flow and potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the application. The vulnerability affects both Windows and OS X platforms, indicating the flaw exists in cross-platform memory management code rather than operating system specific implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with a reliable path to arbitrary code execution on targeted systems. The vulnerability can be exploited through social engineering tactics where users open malicious PDF attachments or visit compromised websites hosting malicious content. Once successfully exploited, attackers gain full control over the affected system, potentially leading to data theft, system compromise, or further network infiltration. The fact that this vulnerability affects both traditional and continuous delivery versions of Acrobat suggests it impacts core functionality that spans multiple product lines and update cycles, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with diverse software environments.
Organizations should immediately apply patches from Adobe that address this specific vulnerability, as the fix typically involves memory management improvements and enhanced input validation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software implementations. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including initial access through malicious documents, privilege escalation via code execution, and persistence mechanisms that attackers might establish after successful exploitation. Security teams should implement content filtering solutions that scan PDF files for known malicious patterns and consider network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement if exploitation occurs. The vulnerability's presence in both classic and continuous delivery versions emphasizes the importance of maintaining comprehensive patch management programs across all software delivery models within an organization's infrastructure.