CVE-2018-4949 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.30079 and earlier, and 2015.006.30417 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 • 07/21/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects multiple version ranges including 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.30079 and earlier, and 2015.006.30417 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the handling of malformed PDF files and represents a classic memory safety issue that falls under CWE-125 - Out-of-bounds Read. The flaw occurs when the software attempts to read data from memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries during PDF parsing operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious PDF documents that trigger improper memory access patterns within the affected Adobe applications. When a user opens such a crafted file, the application's PDF parser fails to properly validate input data boundaries, causing it to read beyond the intended memory allocation. This behavior can result in information disclosure as the out-of-bounds read may expose sensitive data from adjacent memory regions, potentially including stack contents, heap data, or other application memory segments.
From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations as it can be exploited through social engineering attacks where users are tricked into opening malicious PDF attachments. The information disclosure aspect means that attackers could potentially extract confidential data, authentication tokens, or other sensitive information stored in memory. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell and T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as it typically requires user interaction with malicious documents. The impact extends beyond simple information leakage since the vulnerability could potentially be chained with other exploits to achieve remote code execution.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to patched versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader, specifically versions 2018.011.20039, 2017.011.30080, and 2015.006.30418 or later. Additionally, implementing defensive measures such as PDF content filtering, sandboxing mechanisms, and user education regarding suspicious email attachments can significantly reduce the attack surface. Network-based solutions should be configured to block suspicious PDF content, and regular security assessments should verify that all Adobe applications are properly patched and updated. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in preventing such critical security flaws.