CVE-2017-2963 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 memory corruption vulnerability in the image conversion engine, related to handling of the color profile in a TIFF file. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2024
Adobe Acrobat Reader contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability in its image conversion 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 specifically manifests when processing TIFF files with embedded color profiles, creating an exploitable condition that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw resides within the software's handling of color profile data during image conversion processes, where insufficient input validation and memory management controls enable maliciously crafted TIFF files to trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions. The vulnerability represents a classic example of a heap-based buffer overflow as classified under CWE-121, where attacker-controlled data is written beyond the bounds of allocated memory regions. This type of vulnerability falls squarely within the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, as it enables remote code execution through crafted file delivery. The attack scenario typically involves an end user opening a maliciously crafted TIFF file within Adobe Acrobat Reader, which triggers the vulnerable code path in the image conversion engine. When the software attempts to process the color profile information, the malformed data causes memory corruption that can be leveraged by attackers to overwrite critical memory locations and ultimately execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected user. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution as it provides attackers with persistent access to target systems, potentially enabling further exploitation or lateral movement within networks. Organizations using affected versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader face significant risk exposure given the software's widespread deployment and the ease with which attackers can craft malicious TIFF files for delivery through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no special privileges beyond normal user access, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently open malicious files. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in multimedia processing libraries, as image format handling remains a common attack surface for privilege escalation and code execution exploits. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and consider implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting, email filtering, and user education to reduce the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability also highlights the need for regular security assessments of document processing components and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all software installations. This particular flaw underscores the broader challenge of securing multimedia processing functionality within enterprise applications, where complex format parsers often contain numerous potential attack vectors that require ongoing monitoring and remediation efforts.