CVE-2017-3096 in Digital Editions
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Digital Editions versions 4.5.4 and earlier have an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability in the character code mapping module. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2020
Adobe Digital Editions versions 4.5.4 and earlier contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability within their character code mapping module that presents a significant security risk to users. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows an attacker to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. The flaw specifically manifests when processing specially crafted documents that trigger the character encoding handling routines, potentially leading to unpredictable behavior and system compromise. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it exists within a document processing component that is frequently accessed by users when opening e-books, making exploitation highly probable through social engineering attacks or malicious document distribution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the character code mapping functionality, which fails to properly sanitize or limit the size of character data during processing. When Adobe Digital Editions encounters malformed character sequences in e-book files, the application attempts to map these characters to internal representations without adequate boundary checks, resulting in memory corruption that can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 by enabling initial access through malicious document delivery, while also supporting T1059 for command execution once the exploit succeeds. The memory corruption occurs at the application level where user-supplied data is processed without proper bounds checking, creating a path for attackers to overwrite critical memory locations and potentially redirect program execution flow.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it represents a complete compromise of the user's system when exploited successfully. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains the ability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Adobe Digital Editions process, which typically runs with user-level permissions but can potentially be leveraged to escalate privileges further. The vulnerability affects all users of Adobe Digital Editions versions 4.5.4 and earlier, regardless of their security awareness or system configuration, making it a particularly dangerous flaw in the digital publishing ecosystem. Organizations that distribute e-books or use Adobe Digital Editions for content management face heightened risk, as the vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or compromised content repositories.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from affected users and organizations to prevent exploitation. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to Adobe Digital Editions version 4.5.5 or later, which contains patches addressing the memory corruption issue in the character code mapping module. System administrators should implement application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of older versions and monitor for suspicious document processing activities. Network-based defenses such as intrusion detection systems should be configured to detect attempts to access vulnerable versions of the software, while endpoint protection solutions should be updated to include signatures for this specific vulnerability. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of opening documents from untrusted sources and encouraged to maintain current software versions to reduce their attack surface. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security updates and proper input validation in preventing memory corruption exploits, aligning with security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-128 and OWASP Top 10 categories related to injection flaws and insecure data handling.