CVE-2016-6941 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.18, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30243, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.020.20039 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-2016-6940, CVE-2016-6942, CVE-2016-6943, CVE-2016-6947, CVE-2016-6948, CVE-2016-6950, CVE-2016-6951, CVE-2016-6954, CVE-2016-6955, CVE-2016-6956, CVE-2016-6959, CVE-2016-6960, CVE-2016-6966, CVE-2016-6970, CVE-2016-6972, CVE-2016-6973, CVE-2016-6974, CVE-2016-6975, CVE-2016-6976, CVE-2016-6977, CVE-2016-6978, CVE-2016-6995, CVE-2016-6996, CVE-2016-6997, CVE-2016-6998, CVE-2016-7000, CVE-2016-7001, CVE-2016-7002, CVE-2016-7003, CVE-2016-7004, CVE-2016-7005, CVE-2016-7006, CVE-2016-7007, CVE-2016-7008, CVE-2016-7009, CVE-2016-7010, CVE-2016-7011, CVE-2016-7012, CVE-2016-7013, CVE-2016-7014, CVE-2016-7015, CVE-2016-7016, CVE-2016-7017, CVE-2016-7018, and CVE-2016-7019.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2022
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been prime targets for cyber attackers due to their widespread use and the complex nature of their document processing engines. This particular vulnerability affects multiple versions of Adobe's PDF rendering software across different platforms, creating a significant attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability resides in the handling of unspecified vectors within the software's processing pipeline, making it particularly dangerous as it could be triggered through various means without specific knowledge of the exact exploitation technique. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability represents a fundamental flaw in how the application manages memory allocation and deallocation during PDF document processing, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes that result in denial of service conditions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security issues that fall under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions where programs access memory locations outside their allocated boundaries. This particular flaw demonstrates how PDF processing engines can be manipulated to cause memory corruption through improper input validation or buffer handling. The vulnerability's impact extends across different operating systems including Windows and OS X, indicating that the underlying issue is in the core processing components rather than platform-specific implementations. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability could potentially craft malicious PDF documents that, when opened by an affected version of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, would trigger memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from untrusted sources.
From an operational perspective, the exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to severe consequences including complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation. The fact that this vulnerability affects both classic and continuous delivery versions of Adobe Acrobat DC indicates that the flaw exists in core components that have been maintained across different release channels. Organizations using affected versions of Adobe products face significant risk as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or establish persistent access within their networks. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue places it within the ATT&CK framework under techniques related to memory injection and code execution, making it a valuable target for advanced persistent threat actors. Security teams must consider this vulnerability as part of their broader threat landscape assessment, particularly in environments where Adobe Reader is widely deployed and users regularly interact with PDF documents from external sources.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive vulnerability management processes that include regular updates to Adobe products and other software components that handle document processing. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs, while application whitelisting solutions can prevent unauthorized execution of malicious code. Security monitoring should focus on unusual PDF processing activities or system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, user education regarding the risks of opening PDF documents from untrusted sources remains critical in reducing the attack surface. The vulnerability's nature as a memory corruption issue suggests that exploit mitigation techniques such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention should be enabled to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. Regular security assessments and penetration testing can help identify additional vulnerabilities that may exist in the organization's Adobe product deployments and ensure that proper security controls are in place to protect against similar threats.