CVE-2016-7018 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-2016-7017, and CVE-2016-7019.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2024
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been targets for cyber attacks due to their widespread use and the complex nature of their PDF processing engines. CVE-2016-7018 represents a critical memory corruption vulnerability that affects multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software across both Windows and macOS platforms. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of heap-based buffer overflows and memory corruption issues that have historically enabled attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes. The flaw is particularly concerning because it exists in the core PDF parsing functionality that handles various document elements, making it exploitable through routine document opening activities.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within Adobe's PDF processing libraries, where insufficient bounds checking occurs during the parsing of maliciously crafted PDF files. Attackers can leverage this weakness by creating specially designed PDF documents that trigger memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable software versions. The vulnerability manifests as heap corruption that can lead to code execution privileges, allowing attackers to run malicious code with the privileges of the user running the application. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-125 as "Out-of-bounds Read" and CWE-787 as "Out-of-bounds Write" in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, representing the fundamental memory safety issues that enable such exploits.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2016-7018 extends far beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it provides attackers with a pathway to full system compromise. Organizations using affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions face significant risk exposure since these applications are frequently used to open documents from untrusted sources, including email attachments, web downloads, and file sharing platforms. The vulnerability's exploitation typically requires social engineering to convince users to open malicious documents, but once executed, it can provide attackers with persistent access to target systems. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1068 for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, demonstrating how such memory corruption flaws can serve as initial access vectors for more sophisticated attack campaigns.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability is distinct from numerous other CVEs affecting the same product line, indicating that multiple independent memory corruption issues exist within Adobe's PDF processing stack. The affected versions span across the 11.x, 15.006.x, and 15.020.x release series, requiring comprehensive patch management strategies across all supported platforms. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation measures including mandatory software updates, user education about suspicious document attachments, and network-based protections such as PDF content filtering. The vulnerability's exploitation potential makes it a high priority for security teams to address through both immediate patching and long-term security architecture improvements. Additionally, the presence of multiple related vulnerabilities in the same product line suggests potential architectural weaknesses that may require additional security controls beyond standard patch management procedures.