CVE-2016-7017 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-2016-7002, 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-2016-7018, and CVE-2016-7019.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2024
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been targeted by cyber adversaries due to their widespread use and complex codebases that present numerous potential attack vectors. This particular vulnerability CVE-2016-7017 represents a critical memory corruption issue affecting multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software across Windows and macOS platforms. The vulnerability exists within the parsing mechanisms of PDF files and allows attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions through unspecified attack vectors that differ from a comprehensive list of related vulnerabilities published in the same timeframe. The memory corruption aspect of this flaw indicates that an attacker could manipulate the application's memory management routines to either gain unauthorized execution privileges or force the application to crash, thereby disrupting legitimate user operations. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through simple document manipulation, making it accessible to attackers with minimal technical expertise.
The technical nature of CVE-2016-7017 falls under the category of memory corruption vulnerabilities, which are systematically catalogued under CWE-121 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. These weaknesses typically arise from improper handling of memory allocation, deallocation, or access patterns within software applications, creating opportunities for attackers to exploit buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory-related flaws. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers legitimate user access to create or modify files that can later be used to execute malicious code. The affected versions span a broad range of Adobe Reader and Acrobat releases, indicating that the flaw was likely present in the core parsing libraries that have been maintained across multiple product iterations. Attackers could potentially craft malicious PDF files that, when opened by an affected version of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, would trigger the memory corruption and provide a pathway for code execution or system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7017 extends beyond simple exploitation, as it represents a significant threat to enterprise security environments where Adobe products are extensively deployed. Organizations that have not updated to patched versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat face potential compromise through social engineering attacks that deliver malicious PDF documents through email, web downloads, or removable media. The vulnerability's presence in both classic and continuous delivery models of Adobe Acrobat DC suggests that the flaw was deeply embedded in the application's architecture rather than being a surface-level issue. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software patches and implementing layered security controls such as sandboxing, network segmentation, and email filtering to reduce the attack surface. The fact that this vulnerability was distinct from several others in the same advisory period indicates that Adobe's security team identified a unique code path that required specific mitigation strategies rather than addressing a common class of memory corruption issues.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to remediate CVE-2016-7017, as the vulnerability provides attackers with a straightforward method for achieving code execution on targeted systems. The recommended mitigation strategies include deploying Adobe's official security patches, implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted PDF files, and establishing network-based controls to filter malicious content. Security teams should also consider implementing behavioral monitoring to detect anomalous activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's presence in both Windows and macOS environments necessitates coordinated patch management across all operating systems in the enterprise. Additionally, organizations should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify any systems that may still be running unpatched versions of affected Adobe products, as these systems represent high-risk targets for adversaries seeking to leverage this memory corruption flaw. The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the ongoing challenge of securing complex software applications and underscore the critical importance of maintaining current security postures through regular updates and comprehensive vulnerability management programs.