CVE-2016-6950 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-2016-6941, CVE-2016-6942, CVE-2016-6943, CVE-2016-6947, CVE-2016-6948, 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2022
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been prime targets for cyber adversaries due to their widespread deployment and the privileged execution environment they provide. This particular vulnerability affects multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software across different platforms including Windows and macOS operating systems. The flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that can be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution or cause denial of service conditions. Unlike other vulnerabilities in the same advisory, this specific weakness represents a distinct attack surface that requires careful analysis of the software's handling of various input formats and memory management operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within Adobe's document processing engine, which is responsible for parsing and rendering pdf files. When processing maliciously crafted pdf documents, the application fails to properly validate memory operations, leading to potential buffer overflows or other memory corruption scenarios. This type of vulnerability commonly maps to CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read and CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write categories from the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The memory corruption can occur during various stages of document processing including parsing of embedded objects, handling of graphics elements, or processing of javascript code within pdf files. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting specially designed pdf documents that trigger the vulnerable code path when opened by the affected software versions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations that rely heavily on Adobe Reader for document processing and sharing. The ability to execute arbitrary code remotely through a pdf document represents a severe threat vector that can be exploited via email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing platforms. The impact extends beyond simple system compromise as attackers could potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive data, or establish persistent access to target systems. This vulnerability aligns with several techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework including T1203: Exploitation for Client Execution and T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can leverage the compromised application to execute malicious code within the victim's environment. The widespread adoption of Adobe Reader across enterprise environments makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as a single compromised system can potentially serve as a foothold for broader network infiltration.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to the patched versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat products as specified in the advisory. The affected versions include Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.18, and various versions of the DC Classic and DC Continuous releases. System administrators should implement network segmentation and content filtering measures to prevent users from opening potentially malicious pdf files. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of unauthorized software and employ sandboxing techniques to isolate pdf processing operations. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of vulnerable software within the organization's infrastructure. The remediation process should also include user education to help identify suspicious email attachments and web downloads that may contain malicious pdf files.