CVE-2018-16017 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 • 08/04/2024
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 read condition that occurs when processing specially crafted PDF files, representing a critical security weakness that falls under the CWE-125 category of out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. This type of vulnerability typically arises when software attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated boundaries of an array or buffer, creating opportunities for attackers to extract sensitive information from memory regions that should remain protected.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper input validation and memory management within the PDF parsing components of Adobe's software suite. When a maliciously crafted PDF document is opened, the application fails to properly bounds-check memory accesses during the rendering or parsing process, allowing an attacker to trigger an out-of-bounds read condition. This flaw can be exploited through social engineering techniques where users are诱导 to open malicious PDF files, either through email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites. The exploitation mechanism aligns with ATT&CK technique T1204.002 for social engineering and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can potentially expose sensitive data such as memory contents, encryption keys, or other confidential information that may be stored in adjacent memory locations. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gather intelligence about the target system, potentially leading to more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation or further exploitation of related vulnerabilities. The affected software versions represent widely used PDF viewing and editing tools in enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it affects organizations that rely heavily on Adobe's document processing capabilities. The vulnerability's presence in multiple version streams indicates a fundamental flaw in the software's memory management that was not adequately addressed across the product lifecycle.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader where patches are available, as Adobe has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and email filtering solutions should be enhanced to prevent the delivery of potentially malicious PDF files to end users. Security monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual PDF processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as an out-of-bounds read makes it particularly susceptible to exploitation through automated attack tools, emphasizing the need for proactive security measures. Additionally, user education programs should be strengthened to reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that could deliver malicious PDF content to vulnerable systems, as this vulnerability represents a significant attack surface for threat actors seeking to compromise enterprise environments through document-based attacks.