CVE-2018-15988 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2019.008.20081 and earlier, 2019.008.20080 and earlier, 2019.008.20081 and earlier, 2017.011.30106 and earlier version, 2017.011.30105 and earlier version, 2015.006.30457 and earlier, and 2015.006.30456 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 • 08/03/2024
This vulnerability exists in multiple versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader software, specifically affecting versions up to and including 2019.008.20081, 2017.011.30106, 2015.006.30457, and their respective earlier releases. The flaw manifests as an out-of-bounds write condition that occurs when the software processes certain malformed input data within PDF documents. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-787, which describes out-of-bounds write flaws that occur when a program writes data past the end of a buffer or array. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through the manipulation of PDF files that users might encounter during routine document processing activities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the Acrobat and Reader applications failing to properly validate input data when parsing specific elements within PDF files. When an attacker crafts a malicious PDF document containing specially constructed data structures, the application's memory management routines can be tricked into writing data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This memory corruption can occur during the processing of embedded objects, streams, or other structured data elements within the PDF format. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting critical program state information or executable code segments.
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can result in arbitrary code execution within the context of the user running the affected software. This means that an attacker who successfully delivers a malicious PDF file to a victim could potentially gain complete control over the victim's system. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where users are tricked into opening malicious documents, either through email attachments, web downloads, or other delivery mechanisms. The vulnerability affects all supported operating systems where these versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader are installed, making it a widespread concern for enterprise environments and individual users alike. The potential impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as the compromised system could be used as a launch point for further attacks within a network.
Organizations and individuals should immediately update to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader where this vulnerability has been patched. Adobe released security updates that address this issue in their subsequent software releases, and these patches should be deployed as a matter of priority. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as PDF file scanning, restricted browsing environments, and user education programs to reduce the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and the potential consequences of running outdated applications. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of remote services, and T1059, which involves command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers could leverage the arbitrary code execution capability for further compromise of affected systems.