CVE-2018-12801 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2018.011.20058 and earlier, 2017.011.30099 and earlier, and 2015.006.30448 and earlier have an out-of-bounds read vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2023
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects multiple version ranges including 2018.011.20058 and earlier, 2017.011.30099 and earlier, and 2015.006.30448 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the handling of malformed PDF files and represents a classic memory safety issue that falls under the CWE-125 weakness category for out-of-bounds read conditions. The flaw occurs when the software processes certain PDF objects without proper bounds checking, allowing an attacker to craft malicious documents that trigger memory access violations. When exploited, this vulnerability enables an attacker to read data from memory locations that should not be accessible, potentially exposing sensitive information including system memory contents, user data, or application state information. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through simple document opening, making it an attractive target for phishing campaigns or malicious document delivery methods. According to the ATT&CK framework, this represents a privilege escalation technique through application input validation failures, where adversaries can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. The out-of-bounds read condition typically occurs during parsing of PDF content streams or object structures where the application fails to validate array indices or buffer boundaries before accessing memory locations. This type of vulnerability is classified as a remote code execution risk in many threat models, though in this specific case the impact is limited to information disclosure rather than arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability affects not only the end-user experience but also creates potential data leakage scenarios that could expose confidential information processed by these widely deployed applications. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face significant risk as Adobe Acrobat and Reader remain standard tools across enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly impactful for organizations that handle sensitive data in PDF format. The memory access violation occurs during normal document processing when the application attempts to read beyond allocated memory boundaries, which can be manipulated by an attacker to extract information from adjacent memory segments. This type of vulnerability is often discovered through automated fuzzing techniques that systematically test applications with malformed inputs, and it represents a fundamental security gap in the input validation mechanisms of these applications. The exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be achieved through social engineering tactics that trick users into opening malicious PDF files, making it particularly challenging to defend against in enterprise environments where user behavior cannot be fully controlled.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates how improper memory management can lead to information disclosure attacks that bypass traditional security controls. The out-of-bounds read condition typically manifests when the application processes PDF objects containing malformed data structures that cause the parser to attempt memory access beyond valid buffer boundaries. This weakness can be leveraged to extract information from memory locations containing sensitive data such as passwords, encryption keys, or other confidential information that may be present in adjacent memory segments. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the widespread use of Adobe Acrobat and Reader across enterprise networks, where these applications are frequently used to process sensitive business documents, contracts, and communications. From a security perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to data confidentiality and can be combined with other attack vectors to create more sophisticated exploitation chains. The vulnerability affects multiple major version lines of Adobe's PDF processing software, indicating that the underlying memory safety issue has persisted across several software releases, suggesting a systemic problem in the application's input handling mechanisms. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited through simple document delivery methods without requiring any special privileges or complex attack infrastructure, making it accessible to a broad range of threat actors. The information disclosure potential of this vulnerability could expose sensitive organizational data, including intellectual property, personal information, or proprietary business documents that are routinely processed through these applications. Security researchers have identified that this vulnerability can be triggered through various PDF elements including but not limited to embedded objects, streams, and complex formatting structures that are commonly found in professional documents. The lack of proper bounds checking in the PDF parsing engine creates an attack surface that can be systematically exploited to extract valuable information from memory segments that should remain protected. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader security posture assessment, particularly in environments where PDF documents are frequently exchanged or processed. The vulnerability's exploitation can occur through various delivery mechanisms including email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing platforms, making it a persistent threat that requires comprehensive defensive measures. This vulnerability underscores the importance of regular software updates and patch management procedures, as the affected versions represent outdated software that no longer receives security updates from Adobe. The security implications extend beyond simple information disclosure, as the extracted data could potentially be used to facilitate further attacks or compromise additional systems within the target environment.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability through the application of official patches provided by Adobe, as the affected versions represent software that is no longer supported with security updates. The vulnerability's classification as an out-of-bounds read condition places it within the broader category of memory safety issues that are commonly exploited in advanced persistent threat campaigns. Security teams should implement network-based detection measures to identify potentially malicious PDF files that may exploit this vulnerability, particularly in environments where document processing is frequent. The vulnerability's impact is not limited to the immediate information disclosure but also represents a potential pathway for more sophisticated attacks that could leverage the leaked information to compromise additional systems. Organizations should consider implementing additional controls such as PDF sandboxing, document restriction policies, and user education programs to reduce the attack surface for this and similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple version lines indicates that organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all affected systems and ensure complete remediation. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security software and implementing robust patch management procedures that can quickly address newly discovered threats. The security community has classified this vulnerability as a medium to high severity issue that requires immediate attention from security administrators and IT personnel. Organizations should also consider implementing automated scanning solutions that can detect and block potentially malicious PDF files before they can be processed by vulnerable applications. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction and can be automated, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may inadvertently open malicious documents. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for security awareness training and the importance of maintaining current security practices in enterprise environments where software vulnerabilities can have widespread consequences. The information disclosure potential of this vulnerability means that organizations should conduct thorough risk assessments to determine what sensitive data might be exposed through successful exploitation and implement appropriate data protection measures. The vulnerability's characteristics align with common attack patterns described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to privilege escalation and information gathering techniques. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise that may result from successful exploitation attempts, including unusual network traffic patterns or suspicious file access activities that could indicate information extraction from vulnerable systems.