CVE-2017-3093 in Digital Editions
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Digital Editions versions 4.5.4 and earlier have an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability in the bitmap representation module. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2020
Adobe Digital Editions version 4.5.4 and earlier contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability within its bitmap representation module that presents a significant security risk to users. This vulnerability falls under the category of heap-based buffer overflows as identified by CWE-122, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory regions. The flaw occurs when processing specially crafted bitmap images, specifically in the handling of image data structures that fail to properly validate input parameters before performing memory operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the image processing pipeline of Adobe Digital Editions. When the application encounters malformed bitmap files, the memory management routines fail to properly check array bounds or validate the size of incoming data structures. This allows an attacker to craft malicious bitmap files that, when opened by the vulnerable software, trigger memory corruption conditions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it enables remote code execution, meaning an attacker could potentially deliver malicious content through web downloads or email attachments without requiring local system access.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a severe threat to end-user security as it allows for arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the affected user. The attack surface is broad since Adobe Digital Editions is commonly used for reading digital books and documents, making it a likely target for social engineering attacks. The exploitation process typically involves crafting a malicious bitmap file that, when opened by the vulnerable application, causes a stack or heap overflow that can be leveraged to inject and execute malicious code. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution.
Organizations and individual users should immediately update to Adobe Digital Editions version 4.5.5 or later, which includes patches addressing this memory corruption vulnerability. System administrators should implement application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted bitmap files and consider deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The mitigation strategy should also include user education regarding the dangers of opening untrusted document files and the importance of keeping software updated. Additionally, implementing sandboxing mechanisms for document processing applications can provide an additional layer of protection against exploitation attempts. Organizations should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running vulnerable versions of Adobe Digital Editions and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly.