CVE-2016-6937 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-2016-4267, 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 prime targets for cyber adversaries due to their widespread deployment and the complex nature of PDF processing. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of Adobe's desktop and mobile applications, specifically those released before the mentioned patch levels. The flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that can be exploited through unspecified attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous as analysts cannot definitively identify the precise entry point. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of memory safety issues commonly classified as CWE-125, where applications fail to properly manage memory boundaries during processing operations. The vulnerability's impact extends across both Windows and macOS operating systems, indicating a platform-agnostic threat that requires comprehensive mitigation strategies. Security researchers have noted that this vulnerability operates independently from a series of related issues, suggesting that it represents a distinct code path within Adobe's PDF parsing implementation.
The technical nature of this memory corruption vulnerability enables attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code on affected systems, which represents a critical privilege escalation risk. When a malicious PDF file is processed by the vulnerable software, the memory management functions fail to properly validate input data, leading to buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions. This allows attackers to manipulate the application's execution flow and potentially inject malicious code into the running process. The vulnerability's potential for denial of service means that even if code execution cannot be achieved, attackers can still disrupt legitimate user activities by causing application crashes or system instability. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant challenges for enterprise security teams as Adobe Reader remains widely deployed across organizations, making it a persistent threat vector. The fact that this vulnerability exists in multiple product lines including both legacy and newer DC versions indicates that the underlying code issues have persisted across different software generations, requiring broad patching efforts.
Organizations must implement layered defense strategies to protect against exploitation of this vulnerability, as traditional perimeter defenses may not be sufficient given the nature of PDF-based attacks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability exploitation under technique T1203, where adversaries use malicious documents to achieve code execution. Security teams should prioritize patch management programs that can quickly deploy updates across all affected Adobe products, particularly in environments where users frequently encounter untrusted PDF content. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can provide additional protection layers, though these measures do not eliminate the need for proper patching. Incident response procedures should include specific checks for exploitation attempts, monitoring for unusual PDF processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for PDF processing, as this can isolate potentially malicious content from the primary operating environment. The vulnerability's presence in both classic and continuous delivery versions of Adobe Acrobat DC suggests that organizations need to carefully audit their software inventory to ensure complete remediation across all deployment scenarios, as the attack surface remains broad due to the multiple affected product versions.