CVE-2019-7057 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2019.010.20069 and earlier, 2019.010.20069 and earlier, 2017.011.30113 and earlier version, and 2015.006.30464 and earlier have an out-of-bounds read vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects multiple version ranges including 2019.010.20069 and earlier, 2017.011.30113 and earlier, and 2015.006.30464 and earlier versions. This vulnerability resides in the handling of PDF file structures and occurs when the software attempts to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The flaw manifests during the processing of malformed PDF documents where the application fails to properly validate array indices or buffer limits before accessing memory regions. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-125 which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions in software implementations. The security implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple memory access violations as it creates opportunities for attackers to extract sensitive information from the application's memory space. When exploited successfully, the out-of-bounds read allows malicious actors to access data that should remain confidential, potentially including cryptographic keys, user credentials, or other sensitive application state information. The vulnerability operates at the application level and requires a user to open a specially crafted malicious PDF file, making it a prime candidate for social engineering attacks within targeted campaigns. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations relying on Adobe Acrobat and Reader for document processing, as it can lead to data exfiltration and potential privilege escalation depending on the execution context. The attack surface is broad given the widespread use of these applications across enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in corporate networks where PDF documents are frequently exchanged. The exploitation process typically involves crafting a PDF document with malformed data structures that trigger the buffer overflow condition, allowing attackers to read adjacent memory locations and potentially extract useful information from the application's memory space. This vulnerability aligns with attack techniques documented in the attack pattern taxonomy under the category of information gathering and data exfiltration. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected versions to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability does not require any special privileges to exploit and can be triggered through simple document opening operations. The remediation strategy should include comprehensive application updates, network-based filtering of suspicious PDF content, and user education regarding the risks of opening untrusted documents. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting policies and monitoring for unusual memory access patterns can provide additional defense layers against exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider the potential for this vulnerability to be leveraged in combination with other exploits to create more sophisticated attack vectors that could compromise entire systems or networks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in document processing applications, highlighting the need for rigorous security testing of parsing components that handle untrusted data sources.