CVE-2018-19725 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2019.010.20069 and earlier, 2017.011.30113 and earlier version, and 2015.006.30464 and earlier have a security bypass vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to privilege escalation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a security bypass vulnerability that affects multiple versions across different release cycles. This vulnerability resides in the application's privilege management mechanisms and authentication processes, allowing attackers to circumvent intended security controls. The flaw specifically impacts versions 2019.010.20069 and earlier, 2017.011.30113 and earlier, and 2015.006.30464 and earlier, representing a significant attack surface across multiple years of software releases. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems. Attackers exploiting this weakness can potentially escalate privileges from standard user accounts to administrator or system-level access, fundamentally compromising the security posture of affected systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves weaknesses in the application's privilege validation routines and access control checks. When users interact with certain features within Adobe Acrobat or Reader, the software fails to properly verify user permissions before executing privileged operations. This bypass allows malicious actors to perform actions that should be restricted to authorized users only, including modifying system files, accessing restricted functionalities, or executing code with elevated privileges. The underlying flaw likely stems from insufficient input validation or improper privilege checking mechanisms within the application's core security architecture. Such vulnerabilities typically arise from inadequate security testing during development phases or from complex interactions between different security components that were not properly coordinated.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual system compromise to potentially affect entire enterprise networks. Once exploited, attackers can establish persistent access to systems and use the elevated privileges to move laterally within networks, access sensitive documents, or deploy additional malware. The vulnerability's presence in widely used software like Adobe Acrobat Reader makes it particularly attractive to threat actors, as it provides a common attack vector across diverse environments. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face significant risk of data breaches, unauthorized access to confidential information, and potential system takeover scenarios. The privilege escalation capability means that even if initial access is gained through other means, this vulnerability can serve as a critical escalation point for attackers seeking broader system control.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected software versions to address the underlying privilege bypass mechanisms. Organizations should prioritize updating all instances of Adobe Acrobat and Reader to versions that contain the necessary security fixes. System administrators should implement network monitoring to detect suspicious activities that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual privilege escalation behaviors. Additional defensive measures include restricting user permissions where possible, implementing application whitelisting policies, and conducting regular security assessments to identify other potential vulnerabilities in the software ecosystem. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the use of software vulnerabilities to gain higher-level system access. Security teams should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for document processing and maintaining detailed audit logs to track access patterns and potential exploitation attempts.