CVE-2017-3035 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 in the XML Forms Architecture (XFA) engine. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3035 represents a critical security flaw within Adobe Acrobat Reader's XML Forms Architecture XFA engine, affecting multiple version ranges including 11.0.19 and earlier, 15.006.30280 and earlier, and 15.023.20070 and earlier. This flaw exists in the handling of XML forms within PDF documents, specifically when processing XFA data structures that are embedded within PDF files. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices where the application fails to properly validate or manage memory references after objects have been freed, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit the system through carefully crafted PDF documents.
The technical implementation of this use after free vulnerability occurs within the XFA engine's processing of malformed or specially constructed XML data within PDF files. When Acrobat Reader encounters an XFA form that triggers this specific memory management issue, the application may attempt to access memory locations that have already been deallocated or reallocated. This memory access violation can be manipulated by attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable software. The flaw operates at the intersection of memory corruption and code execution, leveraging the inherent trust users place in PDF documents and the automatic processing capabilities of Acrobat Reader.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from untrusted sources. The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute malicious code, install backdoors, or escalate privileges within the victim's environment. The attack surface is particularly broad since PDF documents are commonly shared through email, web downloads, and file transfers, making this vulnerability highly exploitable in targeted attacks. Organizations running affected versions of Acrobat Reader face potential data breaches, system infiltration, and lateral movement opportunities for threat actors who can leverage this flaw to gain persistent access to their networks.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which were released to address this specific vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should also include network-based protections such as PDF content filtering, sandboxing mechanisms, and user education about opening PDF documents from untrusted sources. Organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of vulnerable software unless absolutely necessary, along with monitoring for suspicious PDF-related activities in their network traffic. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes the use after free condition, and represents a common attack vector that maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, specifically targeting application execution through document processing vulnerabilities. The recommended remediation approach emphasizes the importance of maintaining up-to-date software patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against similar memory corruption vulnerabilities that may exist in other software components.