CVE-2016-6998 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-2016-6997, 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 prime targets for cyber attackers due to their widespread deployment and the privileged execution context they operate in. This particular vulnerability affects multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software across both Windows and macOS operating systems, 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 induce denial of service conditions, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these applications are frequently used to process untrusted documents.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory operations within the Adobe Reader and Acrobat processing engines. Memory corruption vulnerabilities typically occur when applications fail to properly validate input data or manage memory allocation and deallocation processes. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that, when opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, trigger buffer overflows, heap corruption, or other memory management errors. These conditions can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory locations, potentially allowing attackers to inject and execute malicious code with the privileges of the targeted user.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations relying on Adobe's document processing software. The attack vector typically involves social engineering campaigns where users are tricked into opening malicious PDF attachments delivered through email or other communication channels. Once executed, the exploit can lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability means that even successful exploitation may not always result in immediate code execution, but rather creates a stable foundation for more sophisticated attacks that can be chained with other exploits to achieve broader system control.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability operates under the broader category of memory safety issues classified under CWE-122, which encompasses buffer overflows and related memory corruption problems. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for 'Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell' and T1068 for 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation', as attackers often leverage such vulnerabilities to gain initial access and then escalate privileges. Organizations should implement immediate patch management protocols to address this vulnerability, as Adobe has released updates to resolve the memory corruption issues affecting these specific versions. Additionally, network segmentation and email filtering controls can help mitigate the risk of exploitation through phishing campaigns, while user education about suspicious document attachments remains a critical defense layer.