CVE-2018-12841 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2018.011.20063 and earlier, 2017.011.30102 and earlier, and 2015.006.30452 and earlier have a double free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader contain a critical double free vulnerability in their handling of PDF objects that affects multiple product versions including 2018.011.20063 and earlier, 2017.011.30102 and earlier, and 2015.006.30452 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from improper memory management where the same memory block is freed twice during PDF parsing operations, creating a condition that can be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw manifests when the application processes specially crafted PDF files that contain malformed object structures, leading to heap corruption and potential code execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-415, which describes improper handling of double free conditions in memory management. When the vulnerable Adobe applications parse PDF files, they fail to properly validate object references and maintain correct memory allocation states. This allows an attacker to craft PDF documents that trigger the double free condition during object cleanup operations, potentially leading to heap memory corruption that can be leveraged for privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through simple document opening, requiring no special user interaction beyond opening the malicious file.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-12841 extends across numerous enterprise environments where Adobe Acrobat and Reader are widely deployed for document processing and viewing. Organizations using these applications face significant risk from targeted attacks where adversaries craft malicious PDF documents to exploit the vulnerability, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where users regularly open untrusted PDF files, as the attack surface is broad and the exploitation requires minimal user interaction beyond document opening. This makes the vulnerability attractive to threat actors seeking to establish persistent access or exfiltrate sensitive data from enterprise networks.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate patching and application hardening measures. Adobe released security updates addressing the double free condition in subsequent versions of their Acrobat and Reader products, making it essential for organizations to deploy these patches as soon as possible. Additional protective measures include implementing PDF content filtering solutions, disabling automatic PDF opening in web browsers, and deploying application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted PDF files. Organizations should also consider network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious PDF file patterns and implement sandboxing techniques for PDF processing to contain potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management practices in security-critical applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate credentials and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, as exploitation often leads to further system compromise through these established attack vectors.