CVE-2018-5039 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader 2018.011.20040 and earlier, 2017.011.30080 and earlier, and 2015.006.30418 and earlier versions have an Out-of-bounds read vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions prior to 2018.011.20040, 2017.011.30080, and 2015.006.30418 contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that represents a significant security flaw in the document processing engine. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions where an application attempts to read memory beyond the boundaries of a valid buffer. The flaw manifests when the affected software processes maliciously crafted PDF files, particularly during the parsing of certain embedded objects or streams within the document structure. When exploited, this vulnerability allows an attacker to read data from memory locations that should not be accessible, potentially exposing sensitive information including user credentials, system memory contents, or other confidential data. The attack vector typically involves tricking a user into opening a specially crafted malicious PDF document, which then triggers the vulnerable code path during document rendering or parsing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the ability to extract potentially sensitive data from the application's memory space. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Adobe Reader is commonly used to process documents containing confidential business information, personal data, or proprietary materials. The out-of-bounds read condition can be leveraged as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, potentially enabling attackers to gather information about the target system's memory layout, which could facilitate subsequent exploitation attempts. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as the initial information disclosure can be used to gain insights into system configurations and memory structures for further attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires careful crafting of PDF files that can trigger the specific code path leading to the out-of-bounds read condition. Attackers typically need to understand the internal memory management of the Adobe Reader application and construct malicious documents that will cause the application to attempt reading beyond allocated buffer boundaries. This type of vulnerability is particularly challenging to defend against because it occurs during legitimate document processing operations, making it difficult to distinguish between normal application behavior and malicious activity. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping document processing software up to date, as the fix for this issue was provided in subsequent releases of Adobe Reader and Acrobat. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure that all users have the latest security updates installed, as this vulnerability can be exploited remotely without user interaction once a malicious document is opened.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate deployment of patches from Adobe, which address the underlying buffer handling issue in the document parsing code. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as PDF sandboxing features, content filtering solutions, and user education programs to reduce the risk of exploitation. Network-based defenses can include implementing strict file type validation and content inspection to prevent potentially malicious PDF files from reaching end users. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical security implications of memory safety issues in widely used applications, particularly those that process untrusted data from external sources. Organizations should maintain robust security monitoring procedures to detect any suspicious activities related to document processing or memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of document processing environments should include evaluation of the security posture of all applications that handle potentially malicious content, with particular attention to the memory safety characteristics of these applications and their susceptibility to buffer overflow and out-of-bounds read conditions.