CVE-2017-3026 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 use after free vulnerability when manipulating an internal data structure. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3026 represents a critical use after free flaw within Adobe Acrobat Reader software that affects multiple version ranges including 11.0.19 and earlier, 15.006.30280 and earlier, and 15.023.20070 and earlier. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to reference memory locations after they have been freed or deallocated, creating a scenario where malicious actors can manipulate the freed memory to execute arbitrary code. The flaw specifically manifests during the manipulation of internal data structures within the application, indicating that the vulnerability exists at a fundamental level of how the software manages memory resources and handles object lifecycle management.
The technical exploitation of this use after free vulnerability leverages the improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation processes within Adobe Acrobat Reader's internal architecture. When the application processes certain PDF files or specific data structures, it may free memory associated with an object while still maintaining pointers to that memory location. Attackers can craft malicious PDF content that triggers this specific memory management issue, potentially allowing them to overwrite freed memory with malicious code or manipulate the execution flow of the application. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free, which is classified as a common weakness in software development practices where memory management is not properly enforced. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a memory corruption technique that can be used to achieve code execution, typically falling under the T1059.007 sub-technique for command and scripting interpreter.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-3026 extends beyond simple exploitation as it represents a significant threat vector for attackers seeking to compromise systems running vulnerable versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Since Adobe Acrobat Reader is widely deployed across enterprise environments and individual workstations, the potential attack surface is extensive. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the application, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no user interaction beyond opening a malicious PDF file, making it a prime candidate for phishing attacks or drive-by downloads. Organizations using affected versions of Acrobat Reader face significant risk of unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within their networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-3026 should prioritize immediate patching of all affected Adobe Acrobat Reader installations to the latest available versions. Adobe released security updates addressing this vulnerability, and organizations must ensure all endpoints are updated to prevent exploitation. Additional protective measures include implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of unauthorized software, deploying sandboxing solutions to isolate PDF processing, and configuring web browsers with enhanced security settings to limit PDF handling capabilities. Network-based protections such as content filtering and intrusion prevention systems can also help detect and block malicious PDF content. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected software within their environments and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process must be prioritized at the highest level of security operations given the remote code execution capabilities and the widespread deployment of the affected software across both enterprise and individual computing environments.