CVE-2017-11269 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) image stream data. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2024
This vulnerability exists within Adobe Acrobat Reader's image conversion engine which processes Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF) image stream data. The flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that occurs during the handling of EMF files, representing a critical security weakness that could be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. 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. This memory corruption vulnerability specifically impacts the processing of EMF format files, which are vector graphics formats commonly used in Windows environments for storing graphical images.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and potentially arbitrary code execution. The flaw occurs in the image conversion engine's handling of EMF stream data, where insufficient bounds checking or memory management leads to buffer overflows or other memory corruption scenarios. Attackers can craft malicious EMF files that, when opened by an affected version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, trigger the memory corruption and allow for code execution with the privileges of the user running the application. This represents a classic remote code execution vulnerability that leverages the application's legitimate image processing functionality to deliver malicious payloads.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to gain arbitrary code execution capabilities on systems where vulnerable versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader are installed. This vulnerability could be exploited through social engineering attacks where users are tricked into opening malicious EMF files attached to emails or downloaded from compromised websites. The attack surface is particularly broad since Adobe Acrobat Reader is widely deployed across enterprise environments and individual user systems, making this vulnerability attractive to threat actors seeking to establish persistent access or deploy additional malware. The vulnerability could also be leveraged in targeted attacks against specific organizations where the attacker has knowledge of the target environment and can craft convincing malicious EMF files.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate remediation through patching of affected Adobe Acrobat Reader versions to the latest security updates provided by Adobe. Organizations should implement strict email filtering and endpoint protection measures to prevent users from opening potentially malicious EMF files. The principle of least privilege should be enforced where users have minimal necessary permissions when processing documents, and regular security awareness training should be conducted to help users recognize social engineering attempts. Additionally, network segmentation and application whitelisting controls can help limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious EMF file processing activities and anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and implementing comprehensive security controls to protect against memory corruption exploits that leverage legitimate application functionality.