CVE-2016-6999 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in 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 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6999 represents a critical integer overflow flaw affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat products across multiple versions and operating systems. This vulnerability resides within the core processing mechanisms of Adobe's document handling software, specifically targeting the Windows and macOS platforms where these applications are deployed. The flaw manifests in the way the software handles certain numerical values during document processing, creating conditions where attackers can manipulate input data to cause unexpected behavior in the application's memory management systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of integer values within the document parsing routines. When processing specially crafted PDF files, the software fails to properly check for integer overflow conditions that occur during arithmetic operations or memory allocation calculations. This allows attackers to craft malicious documents that, when opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, can cause the application to behave unpredictably. The integer overflow condition creates a scenario where a value that exceeds the maximum limit for a given integer type wraps around to a much smaller value, potentially leading to buffer overflows or other memory corruption issues.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant threat to enterprise environments where Adobe Reader and Acrobat are widely deployed for document handling and collaboration. Attackers can exploit this flaw by delivering malicious PDF files through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites. The successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable software. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in corporate environments where users may open documents from untrusted sources, and the attack surface extends to any system running affected versions of Adobe's software.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several tactics described in the attack framework, particularly those involving initial access through malicious document delivery and privilege escalation through application exploitation. Organizations should consider implementing network-based protections such as PDF content filtering and web application firewalls to prevent the delivery of malicious documents. Additionally, the vulnerability's classification under CWE-190, Integer Overflow or Wraparound, indicates that the flaw involves improper handling of integer values in a way that can lead to memory corruption. Security teams should prioritize immediate patching of all affected systems and consider implementing application whitelisting controls to prevent execution of untrusted PDF files. The remediation strategy should include comprehensive testing of patches in controlled environments before widespread deployment to ensure compatibility with existing business processes and workflows.