CVE-2018-15924 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 an use after free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15924 represents a critical use after free flaw affecting multiple versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader software. This vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices within the affected applications, specifically in how they handle memory allocation and deallocation processes. The issue manifests when the software attempts to access memory that has already been freed, creating a dangerous condition that can be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on affected systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the scope of CWE-416, which defines use after free conditions as a class of memory safety issues where program code attempts to access memory after it has been freed. This particular flaw exists in the memory management subsystem of Adobe's document processing engine, where the application fails to properly track memory references during the processing of PDF documents. When maliciously crafted PDF files are opened, the vulnerability can be triggered through improper handling of memory objects that are freed but still referenced by subsequent code paths.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation or denial of service scenarios. Successful exploitation of CVE-2018-15924 can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable Adobe application. This makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may have elevated privileges or where the software is used to process untrusted documents from external sources. The vulnerability is especially concerning because it affects widely deployed software that is commonly used to open PDF files across various operating systems including windows macos and linux platforms.
Attackers leveraging this vulnerability typically employ techniques that involve crafting specially designed PDF documents containing malicious code structures that trigger the use after free condition when the document is processed by the vulnerable software. The attack surface is broad as this vulnerability affects multiple release versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader, making it a prime target for mass exploitation campaigns. Security researchers have documented various exploitation techniques that can bypass modern memory protection mechanisms including stack canaries and address space layout randomization, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where these protections are not fully implemented.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader software where patches are available. The vulnerability can also be addressed through network segmentation and limiting user privileges when opening PDF documents, though these measures provide only partial protection. Security professionals should monitor for exploitation attempts and consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of vulnerable software. Additionally, organizations should ensure that users are educated about the risks of opening untrusted PDF files and that regular security updates are deployed across all systems. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patches to ensure compatibility with existing workflows while addressing the underlying memory management issues that allowed this vulnerability to persist in multiple software versions.