CVE-2017-3043 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 a memory address leak vulnerability in the collaboration functionality.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3043 affects Adobe Acrobat Reader software across multiple version ranges including 11.0.19 and earlier, 15.006.30280 and earlier, and 15.023.20070 and earlier. This memory address leak represents a critical security flaw within the collaboration functionality of the application that could potentially be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to system resources. The vulnerability manifests in the way the software handles memory management during collaborative document operations, creating opportunities for attackers to extract sensitive information from memory addresses.
The technical nature of this flaw falls under the category of memory corruption vulnerabilities, specifically addressing memory address leaks that occur when the application fails to properly manage memory pointers during collaborative processes. This type of vulnerability allows attackers to potentially read memory locations that should remain protected, potentially exposing sensitive data including user credentials, system information, or other confidential data stored in memory. The issue is particularly concerning because it affects the collaboration features that enable multiple users to work simultaneously on PDF documents, making it a prime target for exploitation in enterprise environments where document sharing is common.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability could enable attackers to perform information disclosure attacks that compromise the confidentiality of documents and system information. The memory address leak could potentially allow adversaries to gather intelligence about the target system, including memory layouts, pointer values, and other sensitive information that could be used to facilitate more sophisticated attacks. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on collaborative document workflows and could lead to data breaches, intellectual property theft, or other security incidents that could have significant financial and reputational consequences.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and represents a specific instance where memory addresses are inadvertently exposed to unauthorized parties. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability could be leveraged as part of a broader exploitation chain, potentially enabling attackers to perform memory spraying techniques or other advanced persistent threat operations. Organizations should consider this vulnerability in the context of ATT&CK framework category T1059 for execution and T1068 for exploit development, as attackers might use this memory leak to gain additional footholds within compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected Adobe Acrobat Reader versions to the latest available releases that address this memory address leak vulnerability. System administrators should implement network monitoring to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict the execution of untrusted PDF documents, particularly those from external sources. Regular security assessments of document collaboration workflows and memory management practices should be conducted to identify potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited through similar memory corruption mechanisms. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing comprehensive security controls around document processing applications that handle sensitive information.