CVE-2018-4955 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 stems from improper input validation within the document parsing functionality that processes pdf files, specifically when handling malformed or specially crafted pdf content. The flaw manifests as an out-of-bounds memory access during the parsing of certain pdf objects where the application fails to properly validate array indices or buffer boundaries before accessing memory locations. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-125 which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that occur when a program reads data past the end of a valid buffer. The vulnerability exists in the pdf parsing engine that handles various pdf object types including arrays, dictionaries, and streams where insufficient bounds checking allows an attacker to trigger memory access violations that could potentially expose sensitive data from adjacent memory regions. When exploited, this vulnerability can result in information disclosure as the out-of-bounds read may inadvertently reveal memory contents including stack data, heap information, or other sensitive application state that could be leveraged for further exploitation. The attack scenario typically involves an attacker crafting a malicious pdf file with malformed data structures that when opened by the vulnerable Adobe application triggers the out-of-bounds read condition. This vulnerability aligns with attack techniques described in the attack tree framework where adversaries can leverage such memory corruption flaws to gain unauthorized access to system information. The operational impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as this vulnerability could potentially be chained with other exploits to achieve remote code execution, particularly when combined with other memory corruption vulnerabilities present in the same application. Organizations using affected versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader should immediately implement patch management procedures to upgrade to the latest versions that contain fixes for this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting controls and restricting pdf file execution in enterprise environments can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. Network-based protections such as pdf content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms should also be considered as supplementary controls to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and bounds checking in document processing applications that handle untrusted content, as these types of flaws represent common attack vectors in enterprise security environments. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected software within their networks and prioritize remediation efforts based on risk exposure and criticality of the systems involved.