CVE-2018-4882 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Adobe Acrobat Reader 2018.009.20050 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30070 and earlier versions, 2015.006.30394 and earlier versions. This vulnerability occurs as a result of computation that reads data that is past the end of the target buffer; the computation is part of the string literal parser. A successful attack can lead to sensitive data exposure.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2024
This vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader represents a classic buffer overread condition that falls under the CWE-126 category of Buffer Over-read. The flaw exists within the string literal parser component of the software where computational logic attempts to read data beyond the boundaries of a target buffer. This particular issue affects multiple versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader including 2018.009.20050 and earlier, 2017.011.30070 and earlier, and 2015.006.30394 and earlier versions, indicating a long-standing problem that persisted across several major releases. The vulnerability arises from improper bounds checking during the parsing of string literals within PDF documents, creating a scenario where the application reads memory locations that should not be accessible.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the string literal parser executing computations that extend beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, potentially accessing adjacent memory regions containing sensitive information. When a malicious PDF document is processed, the parser's flawed logic causes it to read past the intended buffer limits, which may contain remnants of previously processed data, encryption keys, or other confidential information stored in memory. This overread behavior can expose sensitive data through memory dumps or by making the information accessible to attackers who can craft specific PDF files to trigger the condition.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations relying on Adobe Acrobat Reader for document processing, as it can lead to unauthorized data exposure through seemingly benign PDF file interactions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially designed PDF documents that trigger the buffer overread condition when opened or processed by vulnerable versions of the software. The exposure of sensitive data through this mechanism aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005 for Data from Local System and T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it allows for information gathering through memory access patterns. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable further exploitation if the overread data contains useful information for subsequent attacks.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to patched versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader, as the vulnerability affects multiple release lines and represents a persistent security weakness. The recommended mitigation strategy includes implementing strict update policies for all Adobe Acrobat Reader installations and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify unpatched systems. Additionally, organizations should consider network-based protections such as PDF content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms to reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and bounds checking in parsing components, emphasizing the need for robust memory safety practices that align with industry standards for secure coding practices and defensive programming techniques.