CVE-2018-5045 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 a Heap Overflow vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2023
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a heap overflow vulnerability that affects multiple version ranges including 2018.011.20040 and earlier, 2017.011.30080 and earlier, and 2015.006.30418 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the handling of specific file formats within the software's parsing mechanisms, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to manipulate memory allocation patterns. The flaw manifests when the application processes malformed input data that triggers improper memory management during file parsing operations. The heap overflow occurs when the application attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries, potentially corrupting adjacent memory regions and creating opportunities for malicious code injection.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic heap-based buffer overflow attack pattern that aligns with CWE-121, which describes unsafe array access in heap memory. Attackers can craft specially designed malicious documents or files that when opened by the vulnerable Adobe applications trigger the overflow condition. The memory corruption typically occurs in the heap memory management system where the application's memory allocator fails to validate input lengths before copying data into allocated buffers. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities through crafted input data manipulation. The successful exploitation results in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user context, providing attackers with a potential foothold for further system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution as it provides attackers with persistent access to target systems. When exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to execute malicious code within the application's memory space, potentially leading to full system compromise depending on the user privileges. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Adobe Acrobat and Reader installations across multiple versions, making it particularly dangerous as it impacts legacy systems that may not receive timely updates. Organizations using these applications face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited through social engineering campaigns targeting end users who open malicious documents. The exploitability factor is high due to the widespread use of Adobe Reader and Acrobat products in enterprise environments, making this vulnerability a prime target for targeted attacks.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with the latest Adobe security updates, which address the heap overflow through proper bounds checking mechanisms. Organizations should implement network segmentation and application whitelisting policies to limit the attack surface of vulnerable applications. Security controls including email filtering and web proxy configurations can help prevent the delivery of malicious documents that exploit this vulnerability. Regular vulnerability assessments should focus on identifying and updating legacy installations that may not receive support for the latest security patches. The recommended approach includes deploying endpoint protection solutions that can detect and block suspicious file execution patterns, while also maintaining comprehensive monitoring for anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary features in Adobe Reader and Acrobat applications to reduce the potential attack vectors available to adversaries.