CVE-2016-6977 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-2016-6950, 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-2016-6978, 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 • 10/18/2024
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been targets for cyber adversaries due to their widespread use in enterprise environments and the complex nature of their PDF parsing capabilities. CVE-2016-6977 represents a critical memory corruption vulnerability that affects multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software across Windows and macOS platforms. This vulnerability falls under the category of remote code execution flaws that can be exploited by attackers who craft malicious PDF files designed to trigger memory corruption during document parsing operations. The flaw exists within the software's handling of specific PDF elements, where improper memory management leads to potential code execution or system instability. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects both legacy versions and newer DC Classic and DC Continuous releases, indicating a persistent issue in Adobe's parsing engine that spans multiple product generations.
The technical nature of CVE-2016-6977 involves memory corruption that occurs when the affected Adobe applications process specially crafted PDF documents. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by preparing malicious PDF files that contain malformed data structures or improper memory references that cause the application to behave unpredictably. When a user opens such a document, the memory corruption can lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user, or alternatively trigger a denial of service condition that crashes the application. This type of vulnerability typically stems from inadequate bounds checking, improper memory allocation, or flawed buffer handling within the PDF processing libraries. The vulnerability operates at a low level within the application's memory management system, making it particularly dangerous as it can bypass many traditional security controls and operating system protections.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2016-6977 extends far beyond individual user compromise, as Adobe Reader and Acrobat are extensively deployed across corporate networks for document sharing and business processes. Organizations that have not patched their systems remain vulnerable to targeted attacks where adversaries craft PDF-based payloads designed to exploit this flaw. The vulnerability's presence in both classic and continuous delivery versions of Adobe Acrobat suggests that the underlying memory management issue has persisted across multiple software releases, indicating a systemic problem rather than an isolated incident. Security teams must consider the broader implications of this vulnerability, as it can serve as a foothold for more extensive attacks, potentially leading to data exfiltration, privilege escalation, or lateral movement within network environments. The fact that this vulnerability affects both Windows and macOS platforms means that organizations must implement comprehensive patch management strategies across all operating systems.
Organizations should implement immediate remediation measures by deploying the latest security patches from Adobe, which address the memory corruption issue through improved input validation and memory management routines. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and can be mapped to ATT&CK techniques involving initial access through malicious files and execution through code injection. Network segmentation and email filtering should be enhanced to prevent the delivery of potentially malicious PDF documents, while endpoint detection and response solutions should be configured to monitor for suspicious PDF processing activities. Regular security assessments should include vulnerability scanning for unpatched Adobe applications, as this particular flaw represents a persistent risk that can be exploited by threat actors with minimal technical skill. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue also necessitates monitoring for abnormal application behavior, including unexpected crashes or unusual memory consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.