CVE-2018-15947 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-129 weakness category, specifically representing an insufficient input validation issue where the software fails to properly validate array indices or buffer boundaries before accessing memory locations. The flaw manifests when processing specially crafted pdf documents that contain malformed data structures, particularly within the document parsing routines that handle various object types and their associated metadata. When the application attempts to read data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, it can access memory locations containing sensitive information from other parts of the process memory space. This type of vulnerability represents a classic example of memory safety issues that can be exploited through malicious document delivery, often via phishing campaigns or compromised websites. The out-of-bounds read condition occurs during the parsing of document objects, where the software does not properly validate the size or structure of incoming data before attempting to access specific memory offsets. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 by enabling initial access through malicious document delivery and can potentially lead to information disclosure attacks. The impact of successful exploitation includes unauthorized access to memory contents that may contain sensitive data such as user credentials, system information, or other confidential data stored in adjacent memory regions. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by crafting malicious pdf files that trigger the vulnerable code path when opened by the affected software versions. The exploitation process typically involves constructing a pdf document with carefully manipulated object structures that cause the application to read beyond intended buffer boundaries. This vulnerability represents a significant security risk in enterprise environments where users frequently open pdf documents from untrusted sources, making it a prime target for targeted attacks. Organizations using these affected versions should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions, implementing pdf document filtering, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious document traffic. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in document processing software, highlighting how seemingly minor parsing flaws can lead to substantial information disclosure risks. Security teams should prioritize patch management for these applications and consider implementing additional security controls such as sandboxing mechanisms or restricted user permissions when processing pdf documents from external sources. This vulnerability also underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of document parsing components and the importance of adhering to secure coding practices that prevent buffer overflows and out-of-bounds memory access conditions.