CVE-2019-7141 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2019.010.20100 and earlier, 2019.010.20099 and earlier, 2017.011.30140 and earlier, 2017.011.30138 and earlier, 2015.006.30495 and earlier, and 2015.006.30493 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 • 06/15/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects multiple version ranges across different product lines. This vulnerability resides in the handling of malformed PDF files and represents a classic memory safety issue that can be exploited to extract sensitive information from the application's memory space. The flaw manifests when the software processes certain PDF objects without proper bounds checking, allowing an attacker to manipulate memory access patterns that extend beyond allocated buffer boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper input validation within the PDF parsing engine where the application fails to verify array indices or object sizes before accessing memory locations. This type of flaw falls under CWE-129, which specifically addresses insufficient bounds checking, and can be categorized as a memory corruption vulnerability that enables information disclosure attacks. When exploited, the out-of-bounds read can potentially expose sensitive data such as memory addresses, encryption keys, or other confidential information stored in adjacent memory regions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable insights into the application's memory layout and internal state. This information can be leveraged to facilitate more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation or further exploitation attempts. Attackers can craft malicious PDF documents that trigger the vulnerability when opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Acrobat or Reader, making this a significant threat vector for targeted attacks against organizations that rely on these applications for document processing. The widespread adoption of Adobe Reader across enterprise environments amplifies the potential impact of this vulnerability.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including deploying the latest patches from Adobe that address this specific out-of-bounds read condition. Organizations should also consider implementing additional controls such as PDF sandboxing, restricted file access policies, and network-based filtering to prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes exploitation of software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation and information gathering. Regular security assessments and vulnerability management processes should include verification of Adobe Reader installations to ensure all systems are running patched versions that address this memory safety issue.