CVE-2016-1069 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-2016-1067, CVE-2016-1068, 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 in Adobe Reader and Acrobat products represents a critical memory safety issue that enables remote code execution through unspecified attack vectors. The flaw affects multiple versions including Adobe Reader before 11.0.16, Acrobat before 11.0.16, and various DC Classic and Continuous versions, making it a widespread concern across the Adobe ecosystem. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application processes certain malformed input data, leading to memory management errors that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized code execution privileges. This particular vulnerability is distinct from numerous other related issues within the same year, indicating a unique code path or implementation flaw that requires specific remediation approaches.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of use-after-free conditions, which occurs when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the freed memory location for malicious purposes. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it affects both Windows and macOS operating systems, expanding the potential exploitation scope significantly. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the targeted user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The unspecified vectors suggest that the attack could occur through various means including malicious PDF files, embedded objects, or crafted data within documents that trigger the vulnerable code path during document processing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it represents a significant threat to enterprise security environments where Adobe Reader and Acrobat are widely deployed. Organizations that rely heavily on PDF document processing are particularly vulnerable since attackers can craft malicious documents that exploit this flaw without requiring user interaction beyond opening the document. The vulnerability's presence in both legacy and continuous delivery versions of Adobe Acrobat products indicates that the underlying memory management issue persisted across different development cycles, suggesting a fundamental flaw in the application's memory handling routines. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in targeted attacks where attackers can leverage the use-after-free condition to bypass modern security mitigations such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention mechanisms.
Security practitioners should prioritize patching affected systems immediately, as the vulnerability allows for remote code execution without user interaction, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals. The remediation strategy should include updating to the latest versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat, specifically versions 11.0.16, 15.006.30172, and 15.016.20039 respectively, along with implementing additional security measures such as sandboxing, restricted user permissions, and network-based controls to limit potential exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing email filtering and web content filtering solutions to prevent users from accessing potentially malicious PDF content. The vulnerability's classification as a use-after-free condition aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation would likely involve executing malicious code through the compromised application, potentially leading to further lateral movement within the network environment.