CVE-2016-7001 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-2016-6998, CVE-2016-7000, 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.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2024
This vulnerability affects Adobe Reader and Acrobat products across multiple versions, representing a critical memory corruption flaw that could enable remote code execution or denial of service conditions. The vulnerability exists in the handling of unspecified input vectors within the software's processing mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can exploit it through various attack surfaces without specific knowledge of the exact triggering conditions. The affected versions include legacy releases such as Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.18, along with specific DC Classic and DC Continuous versions, indicating this represents a long-standing issue that persisted across multiple product iterations. The vulnerability's classification under the broader category of memory corruption flaws aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack mitigation framework, where improper memory handling creates opportunities for malicious code injection.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within Adobe's document processing engine, which likely involves insufficient bounds checking or improper handling of malformed input data structures. Attackers could craft specially designed PDF documents or other supported file formats that, when processed by the vulnerable software, trigger memory corruption conditions. These conditions typically manifest as heap corruption, stack overflow, or use-after-free scenarios that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected user. The vulnerability's relationship to other CVEs in the same year demonstrates a pattern of memory corruption issues within Adobe's products, suggesting systemic problems in how the software handles complex data structures and input validation. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk as it can be exploited remotely through social engineering techniques such as phishing emails containing malicious attachments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation scenarios to include potential widespread system compromise across enterprise environments where Adobe Reader remains widely deployed. Organizations that have not updated their software versions are particularly vulnerable as attackers can leverage this flaw to gain persistent access to systems, escalate privileges, and potentially move laterally within networks. The vulnerability's presence in both Windows and OS X platforms indicates cross-platform exploitation capabilities, making it attractive to threat actors seeking maximum impact. Security teams must consider the implications of this vulnerability in their risk assessments, particularly given its potential for remote code execution which can lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under techniques such as privilege escalation and persistent threats, where attackers exploit software flaws to establish long-term access to target systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate software updates to the latest available versions, as Adobe has released patches addressing the memory corruption issues. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all instances of affected software are updated promptly, particularly in environments where Adobe Reader is frequently used for document processing. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can provide additional layers of protection by limiting the execution of potentially malicious documents. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious document processing activities and anomalous behavior patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's nature suggests that attackers may combine it with other exploitation techniques, making layered security approaches essential. Regular security assessments should verify that all endpoints have been properly updated and that no legacy versions remain in use. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the dangers of opening untrusted documents and the importance of maintaining current software versions to protect against known vulnerabilities.