CVE-2018-15968 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 • 08/07/2024
This vulnerability exists in Adobe Acrobat and Reader software across multiple version lines including 2018.011.20063 and earlier, 2017.011.30102 and earlier, and 2015.006.30452 and earlier. The flaw represents an out-of-bounds read condition that occurs when the software processes certain malformed input data within PDF files. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 category of out-of-bounds read, which is classified as a memory safety error that can lead to information disclosure or potentially more severe consequences depending on the context of the memory access. The vulnerability manifests when the application attempts to read memory locations beyond the boundaries of allocated buffers, potentially exposing sensitive data from adjacent memory regions. This particular issue affects the core document processing functionality of Adobe's PDF rendering engine, which is responsible for parsing and displaying PDF content. The out-of-bounds read vulnerability allows an attacker to craft malicious PDF files that, when opened by an affected version of Acrobat or Reader, trigger the flawed memory access pattern.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can potentially expose sensitive system information, user data, or application memory contents to unauthorized parties. When a user opens a maliciously crafted PDF file, the vulnerable code path executes and causes the application to read beyond allocated memory boundaries, potentially retrieving data from other memory segments that may contain confidential information. This could include cached data, session tokens, or other sensitive information that resides in adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from untrusted sources, as it provides a potential vector for data exfiltration without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond opening the document. Security researchers have classified this as a medium to high severity issue due to its potential for information disclosure and the wide user base of affected Adobe products.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of all affected Adobe Acrobat and Reader installations across enterprise environments. Organizations should prioritize updating to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader that contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally, network administrators should implement PDF content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms to prevent potentially malicious documents from reaching end users. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through PDF files and T1005 for data from local system. Security teams should also consider implementing monitoring for unusual PDF processing activity and establish procedures for handling suspicious documents. Users should be educated about the risks of opening PDF files from untrusted sources and the importance of keeping their Adobe software updated. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of regular security patch management and proper software lifecycle management practices to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities in widely used software applications.