CVE-2019-7794 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 • 09/17/2023
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 software attempts to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The flaw manifests when the application processes malformed pdf documents that contain specially crafted data structures designed to exploit the memory access violation. The vulnerability has been classified under CWE-125 as an out-of-bounds read condition, which represents a fundamental memory safety issue where the application accesses memory beyond its intended boundaries without proper validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors within the context of the ATT&CK framework's credential access and defense evasion techniques. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain access to sensitive memory contents including temporary data, encryption keys, or other confidential information stored in adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects widely deployed software across multiple versions and release channels, making it a prime target for exploitation in targeted campaigns. The out-of-bounds read condition creates a potential pathway for attackers to extract system information or manipulate application behavior through carefully crafted malicious pdf documents.
Successful exploitation of CVE-2019-7794 requires the victim to open a specially crafted pdf file containing malformed data structures that trigger the memory access violation. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond normal document opening procedures, making it particularly dangerous in phishing scenarios or when users receive malicious documents through email attachments or web downloads. The attack surface is broad due to the widespread adoption of Adobe Acrobat and Reader across enterprise environments, government agencies, and individual users. Security researchers have noted that this vulnerability can be leveraged in combination with other exploits to create more complex attack chains, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the latest security patches released by Adobe, which address the memory access violation through proper bounds checking and input validation mechanisms. Network-based defenses should include pdf file content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms to prevent automatic execution of potentially malicious documents. System administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict the execution of untrusted pdf files, particularly in high-security environments. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular software updates and security assessments, as it represents a classic memory safety issue that could have been prevented through proper code review processes and static analysis tools. Organizations should also consider deploying endpoint detection and response solutions that can monitor for suspicious memory access patterns and anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts.