CVE-2016-4251 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.17, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30198, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.017.20050 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-2016-4191, CVE-2016-4192, CVE-2016-4193, CVE-2016-4194, CVE-2016-4195, CVE-2016-4196, CVE-2016-4197, CVE-2016-4198, CVE-2016-4199, CVE-2016-4200, CVE-2016-4201, CVE-2016-4202, CVE-2016-4203, CVE-2016-4204, CVE-2016-4205, CVE-2016-4206, CVE-2016-4207, CVE-2016-4208, CVE-2016-4211, CVE-2016-4212, CVE-2016-4213, CVE-2016-4214, CVE-2016-4250, CVE-2016-4252, and CVE-2016-4254.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2024
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been prime targets for cyber adversaries due to their widespread deployment and the privileged execution context they operate in. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software, specifically those prior to the mentioned patch levels on both windows and os x platforms. The flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that can be exploited through unspecified attack vectors, distinguishing it from several other vulnerabilities in the same advisory cycle. The memory corruption nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the domain of software exploitation techniques that leverage buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management flaws that can be manipulated to achieve arbitrary code execution or denial of service outcomes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates how Adobe's pdf processing engine fails to properly validate memory operations when handling maliciously crafted pdf documents. This type of flaw typically occurs during parsing of pdf objects or when the application attempts to manage memory allocations for document rendering and processing. Attackers can craft pdf files that trigger these memory corruption conditions through carefully constructed data structures or malformed content that causes the application to write beyond allocated memory boundaries or execute code in unexpected memory locations. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple code paths within the pdf processing engine could be compromised, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it may be exploitable through various document elements or processing scenarios.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations that rely heavily on pdf document processing, particularly those that receive unsolicited or untrusted pdf files from external sources. The potential for arbitrary code execution means that successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain complete control of the affected system, potentially leading to data exfiltration, lateral movement, or establishment of persistent backdoors. The denial of service aspect could also be leveraged for disruption attacks, where adversaries might flood systems with malicious pdf files to cause service interruptions. Organizations using older versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat are particularly vulnerable as these products have been widely deployed across enterprise environments and may be used by employees to process documents from various sources, including email attachments, web downloads, and file shares.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability primarily involves immediate patching of affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat installations to the recommended versions. Organizations should also implement comprehensive email filtering and web content filtering solutions to prevent users from accessing potentially malicious pdf files. Security teams should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted pdf processing software and establish monitoring procedures to detect suspicious pdf file handling activities. The vulnerability aligns with several attack techniques documented in the mitre att&ck framework, particularly those related to execution through malicious documents and privilege escalation through application exploitation. Organizations should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in their software ecosystems. The presence of this vulnerability in the same advisory cycle as multiple other similar issues suggests that Adobe's pdf processing engine may have underlying architectural weaknesses that require comprehensive security review and remediation efforts beyond simple patching.