CVE-2017-3016 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat Reader 2017.009.20058 and earlier, 2017.008.30051 and earlier, 2015.006.30306 and earlier, and 11.0.20 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 • 11/05/2019
Adobe Acrobat Reader contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability that affects multiple versions across different release cycles. This vulnerability resides in the PDF parsing functionality where improper memory handling occurs during the processing of malformed PDF files. The flaw manifests when the application attempts to parse certain crafted PDF objects that trigger buffer overflow conditions or heap corruption scenarios. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through social engineering attacks where users unknowingly open malicious PDF files, making it a prevalent attack vector in phishing campaigns and targeted attacks against enterprise environments. The memory corruption occurs in the document processing engine that handles various PDF elements including embedded objects, fonts, and graphics rendering components. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code within the context of the victim's session, potentially leading to full system compromise and persistence mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the Acrobat Reader application. When processing PDF files, the software fails to properly validate the size and structure of various PDF elements, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that exceed allocated memory buffers. This type of vulnerability is classified as a memory safety issue and aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-121, which deals with stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability can be exploited through the manipulation of PDF object structures, particularly those related to embedded JavaScript, image data, or font definitions that trigger the corrupted memory handling routines. The attack surface is broad since PDF documents are commonly shared across organizations and can be encountered through email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing platforms, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently interact with external documents.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-3016 extends beyond simple code execution to encompass full system compromise and potential lateral movement within networks. Once successfully exploited, attackers can gain the same privileges as the user running Acrobat Reader, which often includes administrative rights in many corporate environments. This vulnerability enables attackers to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or deploy additional malware payloads without requiring additional exploitation techniques. The attack chain typically involves crafting a malicious PDF document that triggers the memory corruption when opened, followed by the execution of shellcode that can establish reverse shells or download additional malicious components. This vulnerability has been widely documented in threat intelligence reports and has been actively exploited in the wild, particularly in targeted attacks against government agencies and critical infrastructure organizations. The exploitation often follows the tactics described in the attack pattern taxonomy where adversaries use initial access vectors such as spearphishing emails to deliver the malicious PDF files that contain the exploit code.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability across their enterprise environments. Immediate remediation involves deploying the latest security patches provided by Adobe, which include memory safety improvements and enhanced input validation mechanisms. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and email filtering solutions to prevent the delivery of potentially malicious PDF files through email channels. The implementation of application whitelisting policies can help prevent unauthorized execution of malicious payloads by restricting the execution of known vulnerable applications or untrusted binaries. Additionally, endpoint detection and response solutions should be configured to monitor for suspicious PDF processing activities and anomalous memory access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security awareness training programs should emphasize the importance of verifying document sources and avoiding opening unexpected PDF attachments. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing solutions for PDF processing to isolate potentially malicious documents from the core operating system. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing layered security controls as recommended by industry best practices and frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of vulnerable software versions within the organization's infrastructure.