CVE-2019-7802 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 including 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. This vulnerability resides in the PDF parsing functionality where the software fails to properly validate array indices when processing maliciously crafted PDF documents. The flaw manifests as an out-of-bounds memory access condition that occurs during the parsing of specific PDF elements, particularly when handling malformed or specially constructed arrays within the document structure. When exploited, this vulnerability allows an attacker to read memory locations outside the intended buffer boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive data from the application's memory space. The technical nature of this issue aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities in software systems, and represents a fundamental memory safety issue that can be leveraged for information disclosure attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive memory contents that may include encryption keys, user credentials, or other confidential data stored in the application's memory. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that trigger this vulnerability when opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Acrobat or Reader, making it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, which means that even unsuspecting users could become victims of information disclosure attacks. This makes the vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from various sources, including email attachments and web downloads. The out-of-bounds read condition can be exploited through the PDF parsing engine's handling of embedded objects and arrays, potentially allowing attackers to extract data from adjacent memory regions that contain sensitive information.
Security professionals should prioritize patching affected systems immediately, as this vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild. Organizations should implement network-based protections such as PDF content filtering and sandboxing solutions to reduce the risk of exploitation. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive patch management programs that ensure all instances of Adobe Acrobat and Reader are updated to versions that have addressed this vulnerability. Additionally, security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to PDF-based attacks and implement user education programs to raise awareness about the dangers of opening untrusted PDF documents. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving initial access through malicious documents and privilege escalation through information gathering, making it a critical component in the threat landscape for organizations that handle sensitive documents. The vulnerability's presence in multiple version ranges indicates a persistent issue that requires comprehensive remediation across all affected software installations.