CVE-2017-2948 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier have an exploitable buffer overflow / underflow vulnerability in the XFA engine. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/28/2022
Adobe Acrobat Reader contains a critical buffer overflow vulnerability within its XFA engine that affects multiple version ranges including 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, and 11.0.18 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the XFA (XML Forms Architecture) processing component that handles complex form data structures. The flaw manifests when the application processes malformed XFA data structures that exceed allocated buffer boundaries, creating opportunities for memory corruption that can be exploited by attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the XFA engine's failure to properly validate the size and structure of incoming data streams before copying them into fixed-size memory buffers. This allows attackers to craft malicious PDF documents containing oversized or malformed XFA elements that trigger buffer overflows when the reader attempts to parse and render these forms. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking enables attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data structures. This type of vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script interpreter execution through manipulation of memory layout.
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can result in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the victim user, potentially enabling full system compromise. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute malicious payloads, establish persistence mechanisms, or escalate privileges within the target environment. The impact extends beyond individual user systems as Adobe Acrobat Reader is widely deployed across enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations. The vulnerability's exploitability is enhanced by the fact that it requires no user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it susceptible to phishing campaigns and automated exploitation.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Adobe Acrobat Reader versions to remediate this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategy includes deploying the latest security updates from Adobe, which contain fixed XFA processing routines with proper input validation. Network segmentation and email filtering solutions can provide additional protection layers by blocking suspicious PDF attachments. Security teams should implement monitoring for unusual PDF processing activities and consider disabling XFA form processing in environments where it is not essential. System hardening measures including address space layout randomization and data execution prevention can help mitigate exploitation attempts, though these should be considered supplementary rather than primary defenses against this specific vulnerability.