CVE-2017-16413 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. The vulnerability is caused by a computation that writes data past the end of the intended buffer; the computation is part of the XPS to PDF conversion module, when processing TIFF files. The vulnerability is a result of an out of range pointer offset that is used to access sub-elements of an internal data structure. An attacker can potentially leverage the vulnerability to corrupt sensitive data or execute arbitrary code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-16413 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications that affects multiple version ranges including 2017.012.20098 and earlier, 2017.011.30066 and earlier, 2015.006.30355 and earlier, and 11.0.22 and earlier versions. This flaw exists within the XPS to PDF conversion module specifically when processing TIFF files, making it particularly dangerous as it combines two common document formats that users frequently encounter in enterprise environments. The vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking in memory allocation calculations that leads to memory corruption during file processing operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves an out-of-range pointer offset that occurs when the software attempts to access sub-elements of an internal data structure during the conversion process from XPS to PDF format. This pointer arithmetic error results in a buffer overflow condition where data is written beyond the allocated memory boundaries intended for the buffer. The flaw manifests specifically during TIFF file processing within the XPS conversion module, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted TIFF files could trigger the overflow condition. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and more specifically aligns with CWE-787, indicating an out-of-bounds write vulnerability.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-16413 extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it provides potential attack vectors for arbitrary code execution and sensitive data corruption. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could leverage the buffer overflow to execute malicious code within the context of the vulnerable application, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that Adobe Acrobat and Reader are widely deployed across enterprise environments and are frequently used to process documents from untrusted sources. This vulnerability enables attackers to perform privilege escalation attacks, data exfiltration, and persistent access to targeted systems, making it a high-severity concern for organizations. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as the initial compromise could lead to further system exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-16413 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions to the latest available releases that contain fixes for this buffer overflow condition. Organizations should implement network segmentation and file validation controls to prevent untrusted TIFF files from being processed through Acrobat and Reader applications. Security administrators should deploy application whitelisting policies that restrict the execution of vulnerable software versions and consider implementing sandboxing techniques for document processing operations. Additionally, regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar buffer overflow conditions within other document processing applications. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched versions to ensure that the fix does not introduce regressions in functionality while maintaining the security posture against similar exploitation vectors.