CVE-2018-12797 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12797 represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Acrobat and Reader software versions up to specific build numbers including 2018.011.20040, 2017.011.30080, and 2015.006.30418. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416, which specifically addresses the use of memory after it has been freed, creating a dangerous condition where attackers can manipulate program execution flow. The flaw exists within the document processing components of Adobe's software suite, particularly affecting how the applications handle memory management during PDF file parsing operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a maliciously crafted PDF file is opened by an affected Adobe Acrobat or Reader version. During the processing of such a file, the application allocates memory for certain objects and subsequently frees that memory. However, the program continues to reference this freed memory location, allowing an attacker to control the memory contents before the free operation occurs. This manipulation can be achieved through carefully constructed PDF elements that trigger the specific code path leading to the use-after-free condition. The vulnerability's impact is severe as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the current user, effectively granting them the same privileges as the victim's account.
The operational implications of CVE-2018-12797 are particularly concerning from a cybersecurity perspective as it represents a remote code execution vulnerability that can be exploited through social engineering attacks. Attackers typically deliver malicious PDF files via email phishing campaigns, compromised websites, or infected software downloads. Once a user opens the malicious document, the attacker gains the ability to execute code on the target system without requiring administrative privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise. This vulnerability aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's technique T1203, which covers Exploitation for Client Execution, and T1059, which encompasses Command and Scripting Interpreter techniques. The vulnerability affects a broad user base since Adobe Acrobat and Reader are widely deployed across enterprise environments and personal computing systems.
Organizations and individuals should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader that contain patches for this vulnerability. Adobe released security updates addressing CVE-2018-12797 in their regular security bulletins, and users should consult Adobe's official security advisories for specific version information and patch availability. Additional mitigations include implementing email filtering solutions to block suspicious PDF attachments, disabling automatic PDF preview in web browsers, and maintaining strict access controls for Adobe Reader installations. Network administrators should consider deploying web application firewalls and implementing sandboxing techniques to limit the potential impact of exploitation attempts. Regular security awareness training for end users remains crucial to prevent successful social engineering attacks that leverage this vulnerability, as the exploitation typically requires user interaction with malicious content.