CVE-2016-4267 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-2016-4251, CVE-2016-4252, CVE-2016-4254, CVE-2016-4265, CVE-2016-4266, CVE-2016-4268, CVE-2016-4269, and CVE-2016-4270.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2024
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been targeted by cyber adversaries due to their widespread deployment and the complex nature of their PDF parsing capabilities. This particular vulnerability CVE-2016-4267 represents a critical memory corruption flaw that affects multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software across Windows and macOS platforms. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the application's handling of PDF files, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious documents that can trigger arbitrary code execution or system crashes. Security researchers have identified that this issue operates through unspecified vectors, distinguishing it from a series of related vulnerabilities that were simultaneously being addressed in the same software ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory corruption mechanisms that can be exploited through crafted PDF documents. When Adobe Reader or Acrobat processes malformed or specially constructed PDF elements, the application fails to properly validate memory allocations and buffer boundaries, leading to potential overwrite conditions or use-after-free scenarios. This type of flaw typically occurs in the parser components responsible for interpreting PDF objects, streams, and cross-reference tables. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. Attackers can leverage these memory corruption issues to execute malicious code with the privileges of the victim user, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2016-4267 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise capabilities. The vulnerability's exploitation potential makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Adobe Reader remains a commonly used application for document viewing. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader face significant risk of targeted attacks, especially when users open untrusted PDF files from email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing platforms. The vulnerability's presence in both classic and continuous deployment models of Adobe Acrobat DC means that organizations must consider multiple update paths to achieve comprehensive protection. This particular flaw also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of remote services, and T1059, covering command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers can leverage the executed code to establish persistent access or escalate privileges.
Organizations should implement immediate remediation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with mandatory updates to Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 11.0.17, 15.006.30198, and 15.017.20050 respectively. The patching process should be prioritized across all endpoints, with particular attention to high-value targets such as administrative accounts and executive users. Network-based mitigations including PDF content filtering and sandboxing solutions can provide additional protection layers while updates are deployed. Security teams should also monitor for exploitation attempts through threat intelligence feeds and implement proper incident response procedures to handle potential compromise scenarios. The vulnerability's characteristics make it particularly suitable for zero-day exploitation campaigns, as the memory corruption nature allows for reliable exploitation across different system configurations. Organizations should also consider implementing user education programs to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that might deliver malicious PDF files to unsuspecting users.