CVE-2017-3019 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 11.0.19 and earlier, 15.006.30280 and earlier, 15.023.20070 and earlier have an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability in the Product Representation Compact (PRC) format parser. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2022
Adobe Acrobat Reader contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability within its Product Representation Compact format parser that affects multiple version ranges including 11.0.19 and earlier, 15.006.30280 and earlier, and 15.023.20070 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the parsing logic responsible for handling PRC files, which are used to represent product information and metadata within Adobe Acrobat documents. The flaw manifests as an exploitable buffer overflow condition that occurs when the application processes malformed PRC format data structures. When an attacker crafts a specially designed PRC file with maliciously constructed data fields, the parser fails to properly validate input boundaries, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for code execution. The vulnerability represents a classic stack-based buffer overflow scenario where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121 as it involves stack-based buffer overflow conditions that can result in arbitrary code execution. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that Acrobat Reader is widely deployed across enterprise environments and users frequently open documents from untrusted sources. Exploitation typically requires social engineering to deliver the malicious PRC file through email attachments, web downloads, or removable media. Once executed, the vulnerability can provide attackers with full system compromise capabilities, enabling them to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the victim user. The impact extends beyond simple code execution as it can lead to complete system takeover, data exfiltration, and persistence mechanisms. Organizations using affected versions should immediately implement patch management procedures to upgrade to supported versions that contain memory safety improvements and enhanced input validation. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted document formats and deploy network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing challenges in securing complex document processing libraries where legacy code parsing logic can contain subtle memory safety issues that remain undetected for extended periods. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 which involves exploiting software vulnerabilities to gain access to systems through memory corruption attacks. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of document processing applications and implement sandboxing mechanisms to isolate document rendering operations from core system processes. The remediation process requires careful testing of patches to ensure compatibility with existing document workflows while maintaining security posture against this and similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.