CVE-2016-8713 in Nitro Pro
Summary
by MITRE
A remote out of bound write / memory corruption vulnerability exists in the PDF parsing functionality of Nitro Pro 10.5.9.9. A specially crafted PDF file can cause a vulnerability resulting in potential memory corruption. An attacker can send the victim a specific PDF file to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8713 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the Nitro Pro 10.5.9.9 PDF rendering engine that exposes users to remote code execution risks. This issue manifests as an out-of-bounds write condition that occurs during the parsing of maliciously crafted PDF documents, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently open PDF files from untrusted sources. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the PDF parser component, creating an exploitable condition that can be triggered remotely through social engineering or automated attack vectors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. When Nitro Pro processes a specially crafted PDF file, the parser fails to properly validate array indices or buffer boundaries during document parsing operations, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged by attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the memory management level, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application user.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations that rely on Nitro Pro for document processing, as it can be exploited through simple PDF file delivery methods such as email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing platforms. The attack surface is broad since PDF files are commonly used across all business sectors and can be easily distributed through various communication channels. Security teams must consider this vulnerability as a potential entry point for more sophisticated attacks, including privilege escalation or lateral movement within compromised networks, as successful exploitation could provide attackers with persistent access to target systems.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate remediation through software updates to the latest version of Nitro Pro that addresses this vulnerability, as well as implementing defensive measures such as PDF sandboxing, restricted file type handling, and network-based filtering of suspicious PDF content. Organizations should also consider deploying email security solutions that can detect and block malicious PDF files before they reach end users, while implementing application whitelisting to prevent execution of untrusted PDF viewers. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in document processing applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution through malicious document attachments, and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation through memory corruption attacks.