CVE-2016-6997 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-2016-6977, CVE-2016-6978, CVE-2016-6995, CVE-2016-6996, 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 attacks due to their widespread use and the complex nature of PDF processing. This particular vulnerability affects multiple versions of Adobe's document viewer software across different platforms, creating a significant attack surface for threat actors. The flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where these applications are commonly used. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue places it within the purview of common software exploitation techniques that have been documented in various cybersecurity frameworks and attack methodologies.
The technical nature of CVE-2016-6997 involves unspecified vectors that allow attackers to manipulate memory structures within the Adobe applications. This type of vulnerability typically arises from improper input validation or handling of malformed PDF content that triggers buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management errors. Such issues are particularly prevalent in applications that process complex file formats like PDFs, which contain numerous embedded objects and structures that must be carefully parsed and validated. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability could be triggered through various means including crafted PDF files, embedded objects, or specific document structures that cause the application to behave unpredictably when processing malicious content.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations that rely on Adobe Reader and Acrobat for document handling and sharing. The potential for arbitrary code execution means that attackers could gain complete control over affected systems, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, or lateral movement within networks. The denial of service aspect also presents significant operational challenges, as it could disrupt business processes when critical documents become inaccessible due to application crashes or hangs. Organizations using these applications for sensitive document processing, legal proceedings, or financial transactions face particular risk from this vulnerability, as the attack surface extends across multiple versions and platforms including both Windows and OS X operating systems.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of established frameworks such as CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) which would classify this under memory corruption weaknesses, and ATT&CK (Attack Tree) methodologies that would categorize this as a code execution primitive. The vulnerability's presence in multiple product versions indicates that it likely stems from fundamental architectural issues or common code components shared across different Adobe products. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of all affected versions, implementation of network segmentation to limit exposure, and deployment of sandboxing solutions to contain potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing content filtering and user education programs to reduce the likelihood of encountering malicious PDF files that could trigger this vulnerability. The complexity of the attack vectors and the broad scope of affected products necessitates comprehensive vulnerability management processes that can track and remediate this issue across all relevant systems and applications within an organization's infrastructure.