CVE-2017-3094 in Digital Editions
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Digital Editions versions 4.5.4 and earlier have an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability in the PDF processing engine. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
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 PDF processing engine that presents a significant security risk to users. This vulnerability falls under the category of buffer overflow conditions as identified by CWE-121, where insufficient memory bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The flaw exists in how the software handles certain malformed PDF files, particularly when processing specific embedded objects or streams within the document structure. When a maliciously crafted PDF file is opened, the vulnerable processing engine fails to properly validate input data before attempting to allocate or manipulate memory regions, creating opportunities for attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code within the context of the running Adobe Digital Editions application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it represents a complete compromise of the affected system's security posture. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain full control over the target machine, potentially leading to data theft, system infiltration, or deployment of additional malware. The attack vector requires only that a user open a specially crafted PDF file within Adobe Digital Editions, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in phishing scenarios or when users encounter malicious documents in legitimate contexts. This weakness directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 which involves gaining access to systems through the exploitation of software vulnerabilities, and T1059 which encompasses the execution of malicious code through compromised applications.
The memory corruption vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within Adobe Digital Editions' PDF parser implementation. The processing engine does not properly sanitize or limit the size of certain data structures during PDF file parsing, allowing attackers to craft payloads that trigger buffer overflows in memory regions allocated for document processing. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application level without requiring administrative privileges, making it accessible to threat actors with minimal technical expertise. Security researchers have documented that the vulnerability can be triggered through various PDF elements including embedded fonts, streams, or compressed data sections, which are commonly found in legitimate documents. The exploitation process typically involves crafting a PDF file with specifically designed malformed elements that cause the application to allocate insufficient memory for processing, resulting in memory corruption that can be leveraged for code execution.
Organizations and individuals should immediately update to Adobe Digital Editions version 4.5.5 or later, which contains patches addressing this vulnerability. System administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of Adobe Digital Editions unless absolutely necessary, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted PDF content. Network security controls should include PDF file inspection capabilities to identify potentially malicious documents before they can be processed by vulnerable applications. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of only opening PDF files from trusted sources and avoiding unexpected document attachments. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against zero-day exploits. Security professionals should monitor for related threats that may leverage similar memory corruption techniques and ensure that all PDF processing applications receive regular security updates to address emerging vulnerabilities in document parsing engines.