CVE-2018-4972 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 versions across different release cycles. This vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking within the software's handling of maliciously crafted pdf files. The flaw exists in the way the applications process certain data structures, particularly when parsing specific object types within pdf documents. When a user opens a specially crafted pdf file, the application attempts to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, resulting in an out-of-bounds read condition. This technical weakness allows an attacker to potentially access sensitive memory contents that may contain confidential data, session tokens, or other proprietary information. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-129, which represents "Improper Validation of Array Index," and represents a fundamental flaw in input validation mechanisms. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can serve as a precursor to more severe attacks when combined with other exploits. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to extract sensitive information from the application's memory space, potentially including user credentials, system configurations, or other valuable data. The attack surface is particularly broad since pdf files are commonly shared and opened across various platforms and environments, making this vulnerability highly exploitable in real-world scenarios. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1059.007 for execution through malicious documents and T1005 for data from local system. The vulnerability affects versions including but not limited to 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.30079 and earlier, and 2015.006.30417 and earlier, indicating a long-standing issue that persisted across multiple product releases. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face significant risk of data breaches and unauthorized information access. The remediation strategy involves immediate patching of affected systems through Adobe's security updates, which address the underlying bounds checking deficiencies. Additionally, implementing email filtering solutions, disabling pdf processing in web browsers, and maintaining strict access controls can serve as effective mitigations. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running vulnerable versions and ensure timely deployment of security patches. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in software development, particularly for applications that process untrusted data from external sources.