CVE-2018-12773 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader 2018.011.20040 and earlier, 2017.011.30080 and earlier, and 2015.006.30418 and earlier versions have a Use-after-free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12773 represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Acrobat and Reader software versions up to specific release points including 2018.011.20040, 2017.011.30080, and 2015.006.30418. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to reference memory locations after they have been freed, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate the program's execution flow. The flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416 which specifically addresses the use of freed memory, making it a well-documented and dangerous class of software vulnerability.
The technical implementation of this use-after-free vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications. When processing certain maliciously crafted PDF files, the software fails to properly validate memory references, allowing an attacker to control the freed memory location and potentially overwrite it with malicious code. This memory corruption can occur during the parsing of PDF objects or when handling specific embedded content within documents. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through social engineering attacks where users unknowingly open malicious PDF files, triggering the exploit chain that leads to arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-12773 extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user, effectively providing a foothold for further compromise. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from untrusted sources, including email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing platforms. The exploitability of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 which covers exploitation for privilege escalation, and T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreter usage. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, deploy additional malware, or conduct data exfiltration activities.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through official Adobe security patches, as the company released updates addressing this specific memory management flaw. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive patch management processes, user education about avoiding suspicious PDF files, and network monitoring for potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also implement sandboxing mechanisms for PDF processing and consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious PDF content. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning to identify similar memory corruption issues in other software applications, as use-after-free vulnerabilities remain prevalent in software applications and are frequently targeted by advanced persistent threat groups.