CVE-2016-4119 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, CVE-2016-4104, 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 deployment and the complex nature of PDF processing. CVE-2016-4119 represents a critical memory corruption vulnerability that affects multiple versions of Adobe's document viewer software across Windows and macOS platforms. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of heap-based buffer overflows and memory corruption flaws that have historically enabled attackers to execute arbitrary code on compromised systems. The flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that differ from numerous other vulnerabilities in the same year, indicating a distinct code path or implementation issue within Adobe's PDF parsing libraries.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling during PDF document processing, particularly when parsing malformed or crafted PDF files. Attackers can exploit this weakness by delivering specially crafted PDF content that triggers memory corruption during the rendering or parsing phase. The memory corruption can lead to either remote code execution where malicious code is executed with the privileges of the targeted user, or denial of service conditions that cause the application to crash and become unresponsive. This vulnerability demonstrates the inherent complexity of PDF parsing engines and the challenges in ensuring memory safety when processing untrusted document formats.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2016-4119 extends beyond simple exploitation as it affects critical enterprise environments where Adobe Reader and Acrobat are extensively deployed. The vulnerability's presence in both legacy and modern versions of Adobe's products creates a broad attack surface that security professionals must address immediately. Organizations using these applications face significant risk of compromise when users encounter malicious PDF documents through email attachments, web downloads, or other attack vectors. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-125: "Out-of-bounds Read" and CWE-787: "Out-of-bounds Write" in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, highlighting the fundamental memory safety issues that plague document processing software.
The attack surface for this vulnerability encompasses various threat actors including nation-state groups, cybercriminal organizations, and individual attackers who leverage the memory corruption to gain unauthorized access to systems. The vulnerability's exploitation typically requires social engineering to deliver malicious PDF files to unsuspecting users, but once executed, it provides attackers with a persistent foothold in target environments. Security frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK's T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application) can be applied to understand how this vulnerability might be leveraged in real-world attacks. The vulnerability's presence in both classic and continuous delivery versions of Adobe Acrobat DC indicates that organizations using either version require immediate remediation efforts.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including mandatory security updates to Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 11.0.16, 15.006.30172, and 15.016.20039 respectively. Additional protective measures include implementing PDF file filtering at network perimeters, disabling automatic PDF viewing in web browsers, and conducting user awareness training to recognize potentially malicious PDF attachments. The vulnerability's remediation requires careful consideration of deployment timing and testing procedures to avoid disrupting critical business operations while maintaining security posture. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise related to PDF-based attacks and implement network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement if exploitation occurs. This vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and the dangers of prolonged exposure to known vulnerabilities in widely used software applications.