CVE-2016-4104 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
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 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-1037, CVE-2016-1063, CVE-2016-1064, CVE-2016-1071, CVE-2016-1072, CVE-2016-1073, CVE-2016-1074, CVE-2016-1076, CVE-2016-1077, CVE-2016-1078, CVE-2016-1080, CVE-2016-1081, CVE-2016-1082, CVE-2016-1083, CVE-2016-1084, CVE-2016-1085, CVE-2016-1086, CVE-2016-1088, CVE-2016-1093, CVE-2016-1095, CVE-2016-1116, CVE-2016-1118, CVE-2016-1119, CVE-2016-1120, CVE-2016-1123, CVE-2016-1124, CVE-2016-1125, CVE-2016-1126, CVE-2016-1127, CVE-2016-1128, CVE-2016-1129, CVE-2016-1130, CVE-2016-4088, CVE-2016-4089, CVE-2016-4090, CVE-2016-4093, CVE-2016-4094, CVE-2016-4096, CVE-2016-4097, CVE-2016-4098, CVE-2016-4099, CVE-2016-4100, CVE-2016-4101, CVE-2016-4103, and CVE-2016-4105.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/23/2024
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been prime targets for cyber adversaries due to their widespread use in document processing and the complex nature of their codebases. This particular vulnerability affects multiple versions across different product lines, specifically those before 11.0.16 for traditional Acrobat and Reader, and before 15.006.30172 for DC Classic and 15.016.20039 for DC Continuous on both Windows and OS X platforms. The vulnerability stems from unspecified vectors that result in memory corruption, creating opportunities for attackers to execute arbitrary code or induce denial of service conditions. This memory corruption issue represents a critical weakness in the application's memory management and input validation mechanisms, where improper handling of processed data can lead to unpredictable behavior and potential exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security flaws that fall under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions. These weaknesses typically arise when applications fail to properly validate input data or when memory allocation and deallocation processes contain errors that allow attackers to manipulate memory regions. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue places it within the ATT&CK framework under the technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as exploitation may involve executing malicious code through crafted documents. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests multiple potential entry points, including but not limited to malformed PDF files, embedded objects, or specific sequences of commands that trigger the memory corruption during document processing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation as it affects a broad user base that relies on Adobe's document processing software for business operations, legal proceedings, and general office productivity. Organizations that depend on these applications for critical document workflows face significant risk from potential adversaries who could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to systems or disrupt operations through denial of service attacks. The vulnerability's presence in both traditional and continuous delivery versions of Acrobat and Reader indicates a persistent issue within the software's architecture that affects users across different deployment models and update cycles. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running the application, leading to complete system compromise or data exfiltration.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch deployment as the primary defense mechanism, ensuring all affected versions are updated to the latest secure releases. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted PDF documents. Additionally, security awareness training should emphasize the importance of avoiding suspicious document attachments and implementing email filtering solutions to prevent delivery of potentially malicious PDF files. System administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of unauthorized code, while monitoring for unusual process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue also suggests that sandboxing mechanisms and exploit prevention technologies should be enabled to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar issues within the broader software ecosystem, particularly focusing on input validation and memory management components that could present similar attack surfaces.