CVE-2019-7058 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects multiple product versions including 2019.010.20069 and earlier, 2017.011.30113 and earlier, and 2015.006.30464 and earlier releases. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that occur when a program attempts to access memory locations beyond the boundaries of allocated buffers. The flaw exists within the document processing functionality of these applications, where insufficient bounds checking allows maliciously crafted PDF files to trigger memory access violations. When exploited, this vulnerability enables attackers to read data from memory locations that should not be accessible to the application, potentially exposing sensitive information such as cryptographic keys, user credentials, or system memory contents. The security implications extend beyond simple information disclosure as this vulnerability can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks. According to the ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with the T1059.007 technique for exploitation of remote services and can be categorized under T1566 for initial access through malicious documents. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that PDF files are commonly used for business communications and are frequently opened by end users without security awareness. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no user interaction beyond opening a malicious document, making it a prime target for phishing campaigns and targeted attacks. Organizations using affected versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader should immediately implement patch management procedures to update to the latest versions, which contain fixed implementations of bounds checking mechanisms. Additional mitigations include implementing email filtering solutions that can detect and quarantine suspicious PDF attachments, disabling automatic execution of PDF content, and educating users about the risks of opening untrusted documents. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in document processing applications and highlights the need for comprehensive input validation to prevent unauthorized memory access patterns.