CVE-2018-15929 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 write vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2023
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds write vulnerability that affects multiple versions across different release cycles. This vulnerability resides in the handling of specific file formats and occurs when the software processes malformed input data without proper bounds checking. The flaw allows an attacker to write data beyond the allocated memory buffer, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through the simple act of opening a maliciously crafted PDF file, making it a prime target for remote code execution attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-787, which describes out-of-bounds write conditions in software systems. When Adobe Acrobat or Reader encounters a specially crafted PDF document, the application fails to validate the size and boundaries of memory allocations before writing data. This allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting critical program data or even injecting and executing malicious code within the application's memory space. The vulnerability exists in the parsing logic of the PDF processing engine, specifically in how it handles certain embedded objects or streams within the document structure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from untrusted sources. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting malicious PDF files that, when opened by an affected version of Acrobat or Reader, will trigger the out-of-bounds write condition. The exploit chain typically involves the attacker sending a specially constructed PDF file via email or hosting it on a compromised website. Upon user interaction, the vulnerability leads to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the affected application, which often runs with elevated permissions. This can result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the network.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate patching of all affected versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader to mitigate this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategy involves deploying the latest security updates from Adobe, which include enhanced bounds checking and memory validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as email filtering, web application firewalls, and user education about opening suspicious PDF files. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust patch management processes. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to technique T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter), as attackers can leverage the arbitrary code execution capability to establish persistent access and execute malicious commands within the compromised system.