CVE-2018-15944 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.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2020
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds write 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 resides in the handling of malformed PDF files and represents a classic buffer overflow condition that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw occurs when the software processes certain malformed input data structures within PDF documents, specifically in the memory allocation and data writing operations. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-787, which describes out-of-bounds write conditions that can result in memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through social engineering attacks where users unknowingly open malicious PDF files, making it a prime target for zero-day exploits in targeted attack campaigns.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the PDF parsing routines of Adobe's document processing engine. When parsing PDF files, the application fails to properly validate the size and boundaries of data structures before writing to memory locations, allowing attackers to craft specially formatted PDF documents that cause the software to write data beyond allocated memory buffers. This memory corruption can be leveraged to overwrite critical program execution pointers or return addresses, effectively allowing attackers to redirect program flow and execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected user. The attack surface is broad as the vulnerability affects both desktop and mobile versions of the software, and the exploitation can occur through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites hosting compromised PDF files.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to encompass full system compromise when attackers successfully exploit it. According to the mitre ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as attackers can leverage the arbitrary code execution to gain deeper system access. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader face significant risk of data breaches, lateral movement within networks, and potential establishment of persistent backdoors. The vulnerability's exploitability is further enhanced by the widespread use of Adobe Reader across enterprise environments, making it a high-value target for both nation-state actors and cybercriminal organizations. The lack of exploit complexity and the ease of delivery through common attack vectors such as phishing emails makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in real-world scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching and deployment of Adobe's security updates, which address the underlying memory handling issues through proper bounds checking and input validation. System administrators should implement network-based protections including web application firewalls and PDF content filtering to prevent malicious files from reaching end users. Additional defensive measures include restricting Adobe Reader's functionality through sandboxing, implementing strict file access controls, and monitoring for suspicious PDF file processing activities. Organizations should also consider deploying endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify anomalous behavior patterns associated with exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software patches and implementing comprehensive vulnerability management programs to prevent exploitation of known security flaws in widely used applications. Regular security assessments and user awareness training should also be implemented to reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that leverage this vulnerability.