CVE-2018-16005 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 read vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2024
This vulnerability resides in Adobe Acrobat and Reader software across multiple version lines including 2019.008.20081 and earlier, 2017.011.30106 and earlier, and 2015.006.30457 and earlier versions. The out-of-bounds read flaw represents a classic memory safety issue that occurs when a program attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This particular vulnerability manifests in the handling of specific file formats processed by Adobe's document rendering engine, where improper input validation allows maliciously crafted documents to trigger memory access violations. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-125 as an out-of-bounds read condition that can be exploited to extract sensitive information from memory locations. From an operational perspective, this flaw represents a significant risk to organizations relying on Adobe Acrobat and Reader for document processing, as it can be triggered through simple document opening or viewing operations. Attackers can craft specially formatted PDF files that, when opened by vulnerable software versions, cause the application to read beyond intended memory boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive data such as passwords, encryption keys, or other confidential information stored in adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566.001 for spearphishing attachment, as it can be delivered through malicious document attachments and exploited to gain unauthorized access to system information. The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to information disclosure that may subsequently enable more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation, lateral movement, or data exfiltration. Organizations should prioritize patching all affected versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond opening the malicious document. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked memory contents could contain cryptographic keys, session tokens, or other sensitive data that could be leveraged for further compromise of the affected systems.
The technical implementation of this out-of-bounds read vulnerability occurs within Adobe's PDF parsing and rendering components where insufficient bounds checking allows memory access beyond allocated buffers. When processing malformed PDF files, the software fails to properly validate array indices or buffer sizes, leading to memory access violations that can be manipulated by attackers to extract arbitrary data from memory. This type of vulnerability commonly arises from inadequate input sanitization and insufficient bounds checking mechanisms within document processing libraries. The flaw demonstrates characteristics of a memory corruption vulnerability that can potentially be chained with other exploits to achieve arbitrary code execution, though the immediate impact focuses on information disclosure. Security researchers have identified that this vulnerability affects multiple Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions, indicating a widespread issue within the software's document processing pipeline. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently open documents from untrusted sources. The presence of this vulnerability in both newer and older versions suggests that Adobe's document processing engine has fundamental issues with memory management that persist across multiple software releases. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to address this vulnerability promptly, as the information disclosure risk can be leveraged to compromise system security and confidentiality. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in document processing applications, particularly those handling untrusted data from external sources.