CVE-2019-7778 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 • 06/13/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects multiple version ranges across different release cycles. This vulnerability resides in the document processing engine responsible for parsing pdf files and can be triggered when the application encounters malformed or specially crafted pdf content. The flaw manifests as an improper bounds checking mechanism that fails to validate array indices or memory access limits during document parsing operations. When processing maliciously constructed pdf files, the application attempts to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, resulting in information disclosure of sensitive data from adjacent memory regions. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-129 and represents a classic buffer over-read condition that can expose confidential information such as memory contents, encryption keys, or system data. The vulnerability affects versions including but not limited to 2019.010.20100 and earlier, 2017.011.30140 and earlier, and 2015.006.30495 and earlier, indicating a long-standing issue that spans multiple product releases and years of development. The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows remote attackers to potentially extract sensitive information from the application's memory space without requiring authentication or elevated privileges. Attackers can craft malicious pdf documents that, when opened by an affected version of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, trigger the out-of-bounds read condition and disclose information that may include system memory contents, user data, or application state information. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the attack tactics and techniques matrix where adversaries may leverage information disclosure capabilities to gather intelligence about target systems or applications. The exploitation process typically requires social engineering to deliver the malicious pdf file to a victim, but once executed, the vulnerability can provide attackers with access to information that could be used for further exploitation or reconnaissance activities. The security implications extend beyond simple information disclosure as the leaked memory contents may contain sensitive application state information, partial encryption keys, or other data that could aid in more sophisticated attacks against the target system or application environment. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and implement additional security controls such as pdf file scanning, restricted document handling procedures, and user education about suspicious file attachments. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in document processing applications, particularly those handling untrusted content from external sources. Security professionals should monitor for exploitation attempts and consider implementing network-based detection mechanisms to identify potential malicious pdf files being processed by affected applications. The remediation approach requires updating to patched versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader as provided by the vendor, with particular attention to ensuring all affected versions across the organization are properly updated and validated.