CVE-2018-19714 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 • 08/03/2024
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 read condition that occurs when the software processes certain PDF documents. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-129 category of Improper Input Validation, where the application fails to properly validate the boundaries of input data before accessing memory locations. The out-of-bounds read vulnerability represents a critical security weakness that can be exploited by attackers to extract sensitive information from the application's memory space.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the software's failure to properly validate array indices or memory access boundaries when parsing PDF content. When processing maliciously crafted PDF files, the application attempts to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive data such as stack contents, heap data, or other memory segments that may contain confidential information. This type of memory corruption vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be leveraged to extract information that might include cryptographic keys, user credentials, or other sensitive data stored in memory. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell and T1557.001 for Adversarial Domain Generation for information gathering activities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can serve as a precursor to more severe attacks within the attack chain. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially gather enough information to facilitate further exploitation attempts, including privilege escalation or remote code execution. The widespread use of Adobe Acrobat and Reader across enterprise environments makes this vulnerability particularly concerning, as it affects users running various versions of the software across different operating systems. Organizations that have not updated their software to patched versions remain at risk of having sensitive information exposed through this memory access flaw, which could lead to data breaches, intellectual property theft, or other security incidents.
Organizations should immediately implement remediation measures including applying the latest security patches provided by Adobe, which address this out-of-bounds read vulnerability. The patching process should be prioritized across all affected systems, with particular attention to critical business applications and environments where sensitive data is processed. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing additional security controls such as PDF content filtering, sandboxing mechanisms, and monitoring for suspicious file access patterns. Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits should be conducted to ensure that all systems remain protected against similar memory corruption vulnerabilities. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls and regular security awareness training for users can further reduce the potential impact of exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability.