CVE-2017-3037 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 JavaScript engine. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2024
Adobe Acrobat Reader contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability in its JavaScript engine that affects multiple version ranges including 11.0.19 and earlier, 15.006.30280 and earlier, and 15.023.20070 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation within the JavaScript interpreter, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures through crafted malicious documents. The flaw allows for heap-based buffer overflows and use-after-free conditions that can be triggered when processing specially crafted JavaScript code embedded in pdf files. The vulnerability specifically impacts the engine's ability to manage dynamic memory allocations during script execution, leading to potential memory corruption that adversaries can exploit to gain control over the application's execution flow.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a pattern consistent with memory corruption attack vectors classified under CWE-125 out-of-bounds read and CWE-787 out-of-bounds write conditions. Attackers can craft malicious pdf documents containing malformed JavaScript code that, when executed by the vulnerable Acrobat Reader, causes memory corruption in the JavaScript engine's memory management subsystem. The vulnerability's exploitability is enhanced by the fact that Acrobat Reader automatically executes JavaScript code embedded in pdf documents during normal user interaction, making the attack surface accessible through simple document opening operations. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing and execution of JavaScript expressions, where the engine fails to properly validate input parameters before performing memory operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within user environments where Acrobat Reader is installed. This vulnerability can be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks, as the exploited process typically runs with the privileges of the user who opened the malicious document. The attack chain aligns with techniques described in the attack pattern taxonomy under attack technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting the JavaScript interpreter component. Successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to install malware, exfiltrate sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors through the Acrobat Reader application's execution context.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Adobe Acrobat Reader versions to mitigate this vulnerability, as no reliable workarounds exist for the underlying memory management flaw. Security teams should implement network-based detection measures using signature-based IDS/IPS rules that can identify malicious pdf documents containing known exploit patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted pdf documents. Additional mitigations include deploying sandboxing solutions that isolate Acrobat Reader execution environments and implementing strict email filtering controls to prevent delivery of potentially malicious pdf attachments. The vulnerability also highlights the need for regular security assessments of document processing applications and adherence to secure coding practices that prevent memory corruption issues in interpreter-based systems.