CVE-2017-11277 in Digital Editions
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Digital Editions 4.5.4 and earlier has an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2021
Adobe Digital Editions versions 4.5.4 and earlier contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability that presents a significant security risk to users of the software. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory operations within the application's processing mechanisms, creating opportunities for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw exists in the way the software manages memory allocation and deallocation during document processing, particularly when handling specially crafted files or content that triggers unexpected memory behavior.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate memory structures through carefully constructed input data that causes buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions. When Adobe Digital Editions processes malicious content, the application fails to properly validate input boundaries, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited to overwrite critical memory locations. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of buffer overflow conditions, specifically manifesting as heap-based buffer overflows that enable attackers to gain control over program execution flow. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing of digital content, particularly when handling complex document structures or embedded elements that exceed expected memory allocation parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as successful exploitation can provide attackers with complete control over affected systems. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could install malware, modify system files, or establish persistent access to the compromised environment. The vulnerability affects users who open or process documents through Adobe Digital Editions, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently handle third-party content or documents from untrusted sources. This presents a significant risk in enterprise environments where users may unknowingly open maliciously crafted e-books or digital documents that trigger the memory corruption condition.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate deployment of Adobe's security patches and updates, which address the underlying memory handling issues in the affected software versions. System administrators should implement application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted digital content and consider deploying endpoint protection solutions that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and script interpreter usage and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as the initial exploitation may lead to further system compromise. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and ensure that all Adobe Digital Editions installations are updated to versions that have been patched against this specific memory corruption vulnerability.