CVE-2017-11239 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat Reader 2017.009.20058 and earlier, 2017.008.30051 and earlier, 2015.006.30306 and earlier, and 11.0.20 and earlier has an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability in the image conversion engine when processing Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF) data related to text strings. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2024
This vulnerability exists within Adobe Acrobat Reader's image conversion engine that processes Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF) data containing text strings. The flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that occurs during the parsing of EMF files, specifically when handling text elements within these graphics formats. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader including 2017.009.20058 and earlier, 2017.008.30051 and earlier, 2015.006.30306 and earlier, and 11.0.20 and earlier versions, indicating a long-standing issue that spans several major releases. The memory corruption vulnerability is classified as exploitable, meaning that attackers can potentially craft malicious EMF files that trigger this flaw when opened in affected versions of the software. This represents a critical security risk as the vulnerability can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code on the target system, effectively allowing attackers to gain unauthorized control over the affected machine. The technical nature of the flaw suggests it may be related to buffer overflows or improper memory handling when processing text strings within EMF format files, which are commonly used in Windows environments for graphics rendering and document exchange.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution as it provides attackers with a potential entry point for more sophisticated attacks within targeted environments. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can potentially gain full control of the affected system, allowing for data exfiltration, persistence mechanisms, or further lateral movement within a network. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader indicates that organizations with legacy systems or those slow to update may remain at risk for extended periods. From a threat actor perspective, this vulnerability represents an attractive target due to the widespread use of Adobe Acrobat Reader across enterprise environments and the relatively straightforward nature of crafting malicious EMF files. The exploitation of this vulnerability can be automated, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or targeted attacks where attackers can leverage the reader's legitimate use cases to deliver malicious payloads.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through patch management processes to address this vulnerability, as the affected versions are no longer supported by Adobe. The recommended mitigation strategy involves updating to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader that contain fixes for this memory corruption issue, typically found in versions released after the vulnerability disclosure date. Security teams should also implement network-based controls such as email filtering and sandboxing of suspicious EMF files to prevent automatic execution of potentially malicious content. Additionally, user education regarding the risks of opening untrusted documents remains critical, as social engineering remains a common delivery method for exploiting such vulnerabilities. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1204.002 for legitimate user execution and may map to CWE-121 for stack-based buffer overflow or CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read conditions. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of Adobe Acrobat Reader from untrusted locations and monitor for suspicious file execution patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for this specific vulnerability to ensure comprehensive protection across the enterprise environment.