CVE-2019-8024 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions, 2019.012.20035 and earlier, 2019.012.20035 and earlier, 2017.011.30142 and earlier, 2017.011.30143 and earlier, 2017.011.30142 and earlier, 2015.006.30497 and earlier, and 2015.006.30498 and earlier have an use after free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2025
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical use after free vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-8024 that affects multiple version ranges including 2019.012.20035 and earlier, 2017.011.30142 and earlier, 2015.006.30497 and earlier, and their respective subsequent releases. This vulnerability resides in the handling of PDF objects within the software's memory management system, specifically manifesting when the application processes certain malformed PDF files that trigger improper memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to freed memory locations. The technical flaw represents a classic use after free condition classified under CWE-416, where memory that has been released back to the system is subsequently accessed by the application, creating a potential exploitation vector for attackers. The vulnerability occurs during the parsing of PDF documents, particularly when processing specific object types that contain crafted malicious data structures designed to manipulate the memory management flow. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability through a malicious PDF file, the system can experience arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running the application, effectively providing a complete compromise of the target system. This represents a significant operational risk as Adobe Acrobat and Reader are widely deployed across enterprise environments and individual workstations, making the attack surface extensive and the potential impact severe. The exploitation mechanism typically involves crafting a PDF document with specially constructed objects that cause the application to free memory associated with a particular object while simultaneously maintaining references to that memory location, allowing for memory corruption and code execution. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute arbitrary commands on compromised systems. The use after free condition creates a memory corruption vulnerability that can be leveraged to overwrite function pointers, control structures, or other critical memory locations, enabling attackers to redirect execution flow and inject malicious code. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader should immediately implement mitigation strategies including patching to the latest available versions, implementing sandboxing mechanisms, restricting PDF file handling capabilities, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management practices in security-critical applications and highlights the need for comprehensive input validation and memory safety measures in software development processes. Security teams should prioritize patch management for this vulnerability as it represents a high-severity threat that can lead to complete system compromise and persistent access to target environments.