CVE-2018-5052 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 versions affected by CVE-2018-5052 contain a critical heap overflow vulnerability that stems from improper memory management during the processing of maliciously crafted pdf files. This vulnerability exists in the parsing logic of the software's pdf rendering engine where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write data beyond the allocated heap memory boundaries. The flaw specifically manifests when the application encounters malformed input data within pdf documents, particularly in the handling of certain embedded objects or streams that trigger buffer overflows in the heap allocation structures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic heap overflow pattern where an attacker crafts a malicious pdf document containing oversized data structures or malformed entries that exceed the intended buffer limits. When the vulnerable software attempts to process these inputs, it writes beyond the allocated memory space, potentially corrupting adjacent heap metadata or overwriting critical program structures. This memory corruption can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user, bypassing standard security boundaries and potentially escalating to system compromise depending on the execution context.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Adobe Acrobat and Reader for document processing and viewing. The attack surface is broad since pdf files are commonly shared through email attachments, web downloads, and file transfer protocols, making exploitation relatively accessible to threat actors. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution to potential privilege escalation scenarios, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain elevated system privileges and establish persistent access. Additionally, the widespread adoption of Adobe Reader across enterprise environments means that exploitation could affect numerous systems simultaneously, creating substantial risk for organizations with limited patch management capabilities.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of all affected versions to remediate this vulnerability, as no reliable workarounds exist for the heap overflow condition. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and maps to attack techniques in the ATT&CK framework under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Security teams should implement network-based protections such as pdf content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms to reduce exposure while patches are deployed. Regular security assessments should verify that all instances of Adobe Reader and Acrobat have been updated to versions that address this heap overflow vulnerability, and incident response procedures should be updated to detect potential exploitation attempts through anomalous memory access patterns or unexpected code execution behavior.