CVE-2019-7115 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2019.010.20098 and earlier, 2019.010.20098 and earlier, 2017.011.30127 and earlier version, and 2015.006.30482 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 • 06/15/2020
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects multiple versions including 2019.010.20098 and earlier, 2017.011.30127 and earlier, and 2015.006.30482 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the document processing component that handles pdf file parsing and rendering operations. The flaw occurs when the application attempts to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries while processing malformed pdf documents. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-129 weakness category which specifically addresses insufficient validation of the length or size of input data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through crafted pdf files that appear legitimate to users but contain maliciously constructed data structures designed to exploit the memory access error. When exploited successfully, the out-of-bounds read operation can expose sensitive information from the application's memory space including potentially confidential data, system pointers, or other internal state information that could aid in further exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure as it represents a foundational security weakness that could enable more sophisticated attacks. Attackers can craft specially designed pdf documents that when opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Acrobat or Reader will trigger the memory access violation. This allows for the extraction of data that may include user credentials, system configuration details, or other sensitive information stored in memory. The vulnerability aligns with several tactics described in the mitre att&ck framework, particularly those related to initial access and credential access phases where adversaries seek to gather information about target systems. The out-of-bounds read condition creates an opportunity for attackers to potentially escalate privileges or perform additional reconnaissance activities that could lead to complete system compromise. The fact that multiple major versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat are affected indicates this is a widespread issue that has persisted across several release cycles, suggesting either inadequate testing procedures or complex code paths that are difficult to secure completely.
Organizations and users should immediately implement mitigation strategies to protect against exploitation of this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves updating to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader where the vulnerability has been patched by Adobe. The company released security updates that address the out-of-bounds read issue through proper bounds checking and input validation mechanisms. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting policies can help prevent execution of unauthorized pdf processing applications, while sandboxing techniques can limit the potential damage if exploitation occurs. Network-based security controls such as pdf content filtering and deep packet inspection can provide additional layers of protection by identifying and blocking suspicious pdf files before they reach end-user systems. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual memory access patterns or information disclosure attempts that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against zero-day exploitation attempts that target widely used software applications.