CVE-2016-7002 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-2016-7001, 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 • 10/19/2024
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been prime targets for cyber adversaries due to their widespread deployment and the complex nature of PDF processing. This particular vulnerability CVE-2016-7002 represents a critical memory corruption flaw that affects multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software across Windows and macOS platforms. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the PDF parsing engine, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures through carefully crafted malicious documents. Unlike other vulnerabilities in the same advisory that address different attack surfaces, CVE-2016-7002 specifically targets memory management functions that could be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution or cause system instability through denial of service conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation processes when processing certain PDF objects. Attackers can construct malicious PDF files that trigger buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions within the application's memory management routines. These conditions occur when the software attempts to access memory that has already been freed or when data exceeds allocated buffer boundaries. The flaw manifests in the way Adobe's PDF parser handles specific object types and their associated memory references, allowing malicious actors to overwrite critical memory locations with attacker-controlled data. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7002 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass full system compromise capabilities. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application, typically resulting in system takeover or data exfiltration. The memory corruption aspects make this particularly dangerous as they can be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks, allowing attackers to move laterally within networks or establish persistent access. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat face significant risk exposure, especially in environments where users frequently open PDF documents from untrusted sources. The vulnerability affects both desktop and mobile versions of the software, though the specific impacts may vary based on platform-specific memory management implementations and security mitigations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7002 require immediate action from organizations to patch affected systems with Adobe's security updates. The most effective approach involves deploying the official patches released by Adobe, which address the underlying memory handling issues in the PDF parsing engine. Network administrators should implement defensive measures including PDF file scanning, content filtering, and restricted access to potentially malicious documents. Additional protective measures include disabling JavaScript execution in PDF readers, implementing sandboxing technologies, and establishing robust monitoring for unusual memory access patterns or process behavior. Security teams should also consider deploying endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify exploitation attempts targeting memory corruption vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework suggests implementing process monitoring and anomaly detection capabilities to identify potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments to ensure all Adobe products remain updated against similar memory corruption vulnerabilities and maintain comprehensive incident response procedures for handling potential exploitation attempts.