CVE-2018-12820 in Digital Editions
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Digital Editions versions 4.5.8 and below have an out of bounds read vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2020
Adobe Digital Editions version 4.5.8 and earlier contains a critical out of bounds read vulnerability that resides within the software's memory management mechanisms. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions where an application attempts to read memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries. The flaw manifests when the application processes malformed or specially crafted digital content files, particularly those involving EPUB or PDF document structures that contain malformed metadata or embedded objects. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and boundary checking within the parsing routines that handle digital document structures, allowing attackers to manipulate memory access patterns through carefully constructed file inputs.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the capability to extract sensitive data from the application's memory space. When exploited successfully, an attacker can craft malicious digital documents that trigger the out of bounds read condition, potentially exposing confidential information such as user credentials, system paths, or other sensitive data stored in adjacent memory locations. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005 which covers data from local system, and represents a significant risk to users who regularly process digital content from untrusted sources. The vulnerability affects both Windows and macOS platforms where Adobe Digital Editions is installed, making it a cross-platform threat that could impact a wide range of users.
Security researchers have identified that exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal user interaction, as the malicious content can be embedded within standard digital documents that users might legitimately open. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that Adobe Digital Editions is commonly used for reading e-books and academic materials, which are often downloaded from third-party sources or shared between users. The vulnerability's exploitation typically occurs during the document parsing phase when the application attempts to read metadata or embedded content that has been deliberately crafted to cause the out of bounds memory access. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of Adobe Digital Editions to version 4.5.9 or later, which contains the necessary memory boundary checks and input validation improvements. Additionally, users should avoid opening documents from untrusted sources, disable automatic content loading features, and consider implementing network-level restrictions to prevent the download of potentially malicious content. Organizations should also consider monitoring for unusual file access patterns and implementing application whitelisting policies to limit the execution of vulnerable versions of Adobe Digital Editions.