CVE-2017-11280 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 version 4.5.4 and earlier contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability that presents a significant security risk to users and organizations. This vulnerability falls under the category of heap-based buffer overflows as identified by the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, specifically mapping to CWE-122 which describes "Heap-based Buffer Overflow." The flaw manifests when the application processes malformed or specially crafted input files, particularly those involving digital content management operations within the software's document handling subsystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management practices within Adobe Digital Editions' parsing mechanisms. When the application encounters malformed data structures during document processing, it fails to properly bounds-check memory allocations, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by malicious actors. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to manipulate memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected user. The vulnerability's exploitation requires the user to open a maliciously crafted document, making it a client-side attack vector that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it represents a complete compromise of the affected system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain full control over the victim's machine, potentially leading to data theft, system infiltration, or deployment of additional malware. Organizations using Adobe Digital Editions in enterprise environments face heightened risk since these applications often process sensitive documents and may run with elevated privileges. The vulnerability affects not only individual users but also corporate networks where Adobe Digital Editions might be deployed across multiple endpoints, creating a potential attack surface for lateral movement and persistent access.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate remediation through patch management, as Adobe has released updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations must implement comprehensive software inventory management to identify all instances of affected Adobe Digital Editions versions across their network infrastructure. Network segmentation and application whitelisting policies can provide additional defense layers by preventing unauthorized execution of potentially malicious documents. Security teams should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions that can monitor for suspicious memory allocation patterns and anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for outdated Adobe Digital Editions installations, as this vulnerability represents a persistent risk for organizations that have not yet applied the necessary security patches. The remediation process must also include user education about the dangers of opening untrusted documents and the importance of maintaining current software versions to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.