CVE-2018-16039 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 a use after free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16039 represents a critical use after free flaw affecting multiple versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader software. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category, which specifically addresses use after free conditions where memory is accessed after it has been freed, creating opportunities for malicious code execution. The affected versions span across several major releases including 2019.008.20081 and earlier, 2017.011.30106 and earlier, and 2015.006.30457 and earlier versions, indicating this flaw has persisted across multiple software iterations and represents a significant security concern for organizations relying on Adobe's document processing software. The vulnerability manifests in the way the application handles memory management during document processing operations, particularly when dealing with complex PDF objects and their associated memory allocations.
The technical exploitation of this use after free vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious PDF file that triggers improper memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to the freed memory location. This memory corruption condition allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the victim user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The flaw typically exploits the application's handling of malformed or specially crafted PDF elements that cause the software to free memory resources while still maintaining references to them, creating a window where attackers can manipulate the freed memory to inject and execute malicious payloads. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Adobe Reader is frequently used to open documents from untrusted sources, making it an attractive target for advanced persistent threat actors.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations that depend on Adobe Acrobat and Reader for document processing and sharing. The ability to achieve arbitrary code execution through a simple PDF attachment makes this vulnerability particularly appealing to threat actors conducting phishing campaigns or targeted attacks. The vulnerability's presence in multiple software versions means that organizations with legacy systems or those slow to update may remain exposed for extended periods. Security teams must consider the implications of this vulnerability in their threat modeling, as it could enable attackers to establish persistent backdoors, escalate privileges, or move laterally within networks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1059 technique for command and control, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to establish remote access capabilities through the compromised application.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including prompt patching of all affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions, deployment of network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious PDF-related network traffic, and implementation of email filtering solutions to prevent malicious PDF attachments from reaching end users. Additionally, security awareness training should emphasize the dangers of opening PDF files from untrusted sources, and administrative controls should be implemented to restrict Adobe Reader's functionality in enterprise environments. The vulnerability's classification as a use after free issue underscores the importance of proper memory management practices in software development and highlights the necessity of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar memory corruption vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of Adobe Reader to trusted environments and maintain detailed monitoring of system processes to detect potential exploitation attempts.