CVE-2017-16377 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Adobe Acrobat and Reader: 2017.012.20098 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30066 and earlier versions, 2015.006.30355 and earlier versions, and 11.0.22 and earlier versions. This vulnerability is due to a computation that accesses a pointer that has not been initialized in the main DLL. In this case, a computation defines a read from an unexpected memory location. Therefore, an attacker might be able to read sensitive portions of memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2021
CVE-2017-16377 represents a critical memory safety vulnerability found in multiple versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader software. This flaw exists within the core dynamic link library where uninitialized pointer dereference occurs during memory operations. The vulnerability stems from improper initialization of memory pointers before their usage, creating a condition where the application attempts to read from memory locations that have not been properly allocated or validated. Such uninitialized pointer access represents a fundamental breach in memory management practices that can lead to information disclosure and potential exploitation. The issue affects various product versions including 2017.012.20098 and earlier, 2017.011.30066 and earlier, 2015.006.30355 and earlier, and 11.0.22 and earlier versions, indicating a widespread problem across different software generations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the domain of memory safety issues categorized under CWE-457, which specifically addresses use of uninitialized variables. When the application processes PDF documents, it encounters malformed or specially crafted input that triggers the uninitialized pointer access pattern. This allows an attacker to potentially read sensitive data from memory locations that should not be accessible through normal application operation. The uninitialized pointer creates a condition where the application's memory access patterns become unpredictable and can expose portions of the process memory space containing confidential information, including but not limited to encryption keys, user credentials, or other sensitive operational data. The vulnerability manifests as a read operation from unexpected memory locations that could contain remnants of previously processed data or system information.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-16377 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive memory contents that could be leveraged in subsequent attacks. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005, which covers data from local system, as it enables adversaries to extract sensitive information from the target system through memory access patterns. The flaw creates opportunities for attackers to gather intelligence about the target environment, potentially leading to more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. Since Adobe Reader and Acrobat are widely deployed across enterprise environments, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations that process PDF documents regularly. The exploitation of this vulnerability could result in unauthorized access to confidential business information, intellectual property, or personal data stored in memory segments that become accessible through the uninitialized pointer access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-16377 focus primarily on immediate software updates and patches provided by Adobe. Organizations should prioritize updating to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader that contain fixes for this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict PDF processing to trusted applications can reduce the attack surface. Network-based mitigations including content filtering and sandboxing PDF processing can provide additional protection layers. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual memory access patterns and potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory initialization practices in software development, emphasizing the need for comprehensive code review processes and adherence to secure coding standards. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected versions and implement remediation procedures promptly. Regular security training for users regarding the dangers of opening untrusted PDF documents can further reduce the risk of exploitation through social engineering attacks that might leverage this vulnerability.