CVE-2019-7084 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 use after free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution .
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical use after free vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-7084 that affects multiple version ranges including 2019.010.20069 and earlier, 2017.011.30113 and earlier, and 2015.006.30464 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the handling of PDF documents and represents a classic memory safety issue where freed memory is still accessed by the application. The flaw occurs when the software processes malformed PDF files that trigger improper memory management during object destruction, creating a scenario where an attacker can manipulate the freed memory location to execute arbitrary code. This vulnerability falls under CWE-416 which specifically addresses use after free conditions in software development, making it particularly dangerous as it allows for remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond opening a malicious document. The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows the typical attack pattern described in the ATT&CK framework under technique T1203 for legitimate program exploitation, where adversaries leverage application flaws to gain unauthorized code execution. When an attacker crafts a malicious PDF file that triggers this use after free condition, the application may attempt to access memory that has already been deallocated, potentially allowing the attacker to control the program flow through memory corruption. The impact extends beyond simple code execution as this vulnerability can be leveraged for privilege escalation, information disclosure, and persistence mechanisms within targeted environments. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because Adobe Reader and Acrobat are widely deployed across enterprise networks and personal computing environments, making the potential attack surface extensive. Organizations using affected versions face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited through social engineering campaigns where users open malicious PDF attachments, or through drive-by downloads on compromised websites. The exploitation typically requires the user to open a specially crafted PDF document, but once executed, the attacker gains the same privileges as the user running the vulnerable application, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular patch management and the critical nature of memory safety in applications that process untrusted input, particularly in document processing software that handles complex file formats like PDF. The use after free condition creates a predictable pattern that security researchers and attackers can exploit, making it a prime target for zero-day exploitation in targeted attacks against high-value targets. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through official Adobe patches, while implementing additional security controls such as PDF sandboxing, application whitelisting, and network-based filtering to mitigate the risk of exploitation.
The vulnerability represents a fundamental flaw in Adobe's memory management implementation where objects are not properly validated before access after deallocation. This creates a race condition where memory can be reallocated for other purposes while the application still maintains pointers to it, allowing for controlled overwrite operations. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such vulnerabilities under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers often leverage the executed code to establish further footholds or escalate privileges within compromised systems. The exploitation process typically involves crafting a PDF document that triggers the specific memory corruption scenario, followed by careful manipulation of the freed memory contents to achieve code execution. Security researchers have noted that this vulnerability is particularly challenging to detect through traditional signature-based methods due to its reliance on memory corruption patterns rather than obvious protocol violations. The affected versions span multiple product lines and release cycles, indicating that this was likely a long-standing issue that persisted across several major releases. Organizations should consider implementing comprehensive endpoint detection and response solutions that can monitor for unusual memory access patterns or code injection attempts that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the need for robust input validation and memory management practices in enterprise software development, as similar issues continue to be discovered in various commercial applications. Adobe's response to this vulnerability included the release of patches for all supported versions, emphasizing the critical nature of timely security updates in maintaining software integrity and protecting against sophisticated cyber threats.