CVE-2018-16041 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 resides in Adobe Acrobat and Reader software across multiple versions, specifically affecting releases up to and including 2019.008.20081, 2017.011.30106, 2015.006.30457, and their respective earlier iterations. The flaw manifests as an out-of-bounds read condition that occurs when the software processes certain malformed input data within PDF documents. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-125, which describes "Out-of-bounds Read" as a condition where a program attempts to access memory beyond the boundaries of a valid buffer, potentially exposing sensitive data from adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that can be exploited by attackers who craft malicious PDF files designed to trigger this specific memory access issue.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when Adobe Acrobat or Reader attempts to parse a specially crafted PDF document containing malformed data structures. During the parsing process, the application's handling of certain data elements causes it to read memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries. This out-of-bounds memory access can result in the disclosure of sensitive information that may be stored in adjacent memory regions, including but not limited to authentication credentials, system information, or other confidential data that was previously stored in memory. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered through simple document opening actions, making it highly exploitable in phishing campaigns or malicious document delivery scenarios.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can potentially provide attackers with access to sensitive system information that could be leveraged for further exploitation. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain access to memory contents that may include encryption keys, user credentials, or other confidential information stored in the application's memory space. This information disclosure can facilitate more sophisticated attacks, including privilege escalation, credential theft, or the development of additional exploit techniques against the same or related systems. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Adobe's products, indicating a widespread exposure across different release lines and potentially impacting organizations that maintain various Adobe Acrobat and Reader installations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including updating to the latest available versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader where patches are provided. The recommended approach involves deploying security updates from Adobe as soon as they become available, typically through Adobe's official security bulletins and update mechanisms. System administrators should also consider implementing additional protective measures such as PDF document filtering, sandboxing environments for PDF processing, and monitoring for suspicious document access patterns. Network security controls including web application firewalls and content filtering systems can help prevent the delivery of malicious PDF files to end users. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, as exploitation may involve the execution of malicious code through the PDF processing functionality, while also potentially mapping to T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation if the information disclosure leads to further system compromise.