CVE-2017-11246 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 parsing JPEG data. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2024
Adobe Acrobat Reader contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability in its image conversion engine that specifically affects JPEG data processing. This vulnerability exists within the software's handling of image conversion operations and represents a classic buffer overflow condition that can be triggered through malformed JPEG files. The flaw resides in the parsing mechanism responsible for converting various image formats within PDF documents, making it a prime target for exploitation in targeted attacks. 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, indicating this represents a long-standing issue that has persisted across multiple release cycles. The memory corruption occurs during the JPEG data parsing process when the application fails to properly validate or bound-check input data before processing. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, which is commonly exploited through controlled input data that overflows memory buffers and allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. The attack vector typically involves tricking a user into opening a malicious PDF file containing specially crafted JPEG data that triggers the vulnerable code path. When exploited successfully, the vulnerability provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the application, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This represents a significant security risk in enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from untrusted sources, and the vulnerability can be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks. The exploitation requires minimal user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns and targeted attacks. Organizations using affected versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader should immediately implement mitigation strategies including disabling JavaScript execution, implementing strict file type filtering, and deploying application whitelisting controls. The vulnerability aligns with tactics described in the attack mitigation framework where attackers leverage application-specific vulnerabilities to achieve persistent access and maintain control over compromised systems. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of the broader attack surface analysis for PDF processing applications, particularly when evaluating the risk of document-based attacks in enterprise networks. The impact extends beyond simple code execution to include potential data exfiltration, lateral movement capabilities, and establishment of persistent backdoors within compromised environments. Given the widespread use of Adobe Acrobat Reader across organizations, this vulnerability represents a critical threat that requires immediate attention and remediation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in application security, particularly in software that processes complex file formats with multiple parsing components. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for handling potential compromise scenarios. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue places it within the domain of advanced persistent threat campaigns where attackers seek to establish long-term access through carefully crafted exploitation techniques. This represents a fundamental security weakness in the application's architecture that requires both immediate patching and architectural review to prevent similar issues in future releases.