CVE-2018-5047 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 stems from insufficient input validation within the document parsing functionality. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-129 category of Improper Validation of Array Index, which represents a fundamental flaw in how the software handles array indexing operations. The flaw occurs when processing maliciously crafted pdf documents that contain malformed data structures, specifically within the embedded object handling mechanisms. When the application attempts to read data from memory locations beyond the allocated array bounds, it can access unauthorized memory regions that may contain sensitive information from other parts of the process memory space.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it represents a significant attack surface that can be leveraged by threat actors to extract confidential data from the targeted system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple product versions across different release cycles, indicating a persistent flaw in the parsing logic that was not adequately addressed through standard security updates. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially designed pdf files that trigger the out-of-bounds read condition when opened or processed by the vulnerable software. The extracted information could include sensitive data such as encryption keys, user credentials, or other confidential information stored in adjacent memory locations, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Acrobat Reader is commonly used for document processing.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566 for Phishing with Malicious Attachments, as attackers can deliver malicious pdf files through social engineering campaigns. The vulnerability can be exploited through multiple attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or document sharing platforms where users might inadvertently open compromised files. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates poor memory safety practices that are often addressed through modern programming techniques such as bounds checking and memory safety languages. The remediation approach requires immediate patching of affected versions to ensure that input validation is properly implemented before array access operations occur, with additional network segmentation and email filtering measures to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation attempts. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual PDF processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.