CVE-2018-15927 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 out-of-bounds read vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects multiple version ranges including 2018.011.20063 and earlier, 2017.011.30102 and earlier, and 2015.006.30452 and earlier. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that can occur when a program attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The flaw exists within the document processing functionality of these applications, particularly when handling malformed or specially crafted pdf files that contain maliciously constructed data structures. When a user opens or processes such vulnerable documents, the application's memory management routines fail to properly validate buffer boundaries, allowing an attacker to trigger an out-of-bounds read condition that can result in information disclosure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can potentially enable more sophisticated attacks within the context of the ATT&CK framework's initial access and execution phases. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially extract sensitive memory contents including encryption keys, user credentials, or other confidential information stored in adjacent memory locations. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be leveraged in combination with other techniques to achieve arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation. The out-of-bounds read condition typically occurs during the parsing of pdf objects, streams, or cross-reference tables where the application fails to properly validate the size of data structures before attempting to read from them. Attackers can craft malicious pdf files that contain oversized or malformed data fields designed to trigger this specific memory access pattern.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate mitigation of this vulnerability through the application of Adobe's official security patches and updates. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader are updated across their enterprise environments. Additionally, network security controls including pdf file filtering and sandboxing mechanisms can provide additional layers of defense. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in document processing applications, as highlighted by industry standards and best practices for secure coding. Organizations should also consider implementing user education programs to raise awareness about the risks of opening untrusted pdf files and the importance of maintaining current software versions. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include evaluation of document processing components to identify similar memory safety vulnerabilities that could be exploited in similar attack vectors.