CVE-2017-11252 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 Adobe Graphics Manager (AGM) module. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-11252 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Adobe Acrobat Reader's Adobe Graphics Manager module, affecting multiple versions across different release cycles. This issue resides in the core rendering engine responsible for processing graphics content within PDF documents, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to execute malicious code on vulnerable systems. The affected versions include Adobe Acrobat Reader 2017.009.20058 and earlier, 2017.008.30051 and earlier, 2015.006.3030306 and earlier, and 11.0.20 and earlier, indicating a widespread impact across several major release branches.
The technical flaw manifests as an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability within the AGM module, which is responsible for handling graphics processing operations in PDF files. When processing specially crafted PDF documents containing malformed graphics data, the AGM component fails to properly validate input parameters, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code. This vulnerability falls under the category of heap-based buffer overflow as described by CWE-122, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing of graphics elements, specifically when handling complex vector graphics or embedded image data that exceeds expected memory boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within targeted environments. Successful exploitation enables attackers to gain full control over the affected system, potentially leading to data exfiltration, lateral movement, and establishment of persistent backdoors. The vulnerability's prevalence across multiple versions makes it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where various Acrobat Reader versions may coexist. Organizations running these older versions face significant risk exposure, as the attack surface remains wide and the exploitation techniques require minimal sophistication to achieve successful compromise. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can leverage the arbitrary code execution capability to deploy additional malicious payloads.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patch deployment to address the vulnerability in all affected versions, as Adobe released security updates to resolve this memory corruption issue. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to PDF processing capabilities, particularly in high-risk environments such as email gateways or public-facing systems. Additionally, deploying sandboxing solutions that isolate PDF processing operations can provide defense-in-depth protection against exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should focus on identifying unusual PDF processing activities or attempts to access vulnerable Acrobat Reader installations. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls and regular vulnerability assessments will help organizations maintain a secure posture against similar threats. Organizations should also consider implementing email filtering solutions that can detect and block potentially malicious PDF attachments, as this vulnerability is commonly exploited through phishing campaigns targeting end users.