CVE-2019-8037 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 out-of-bounds read vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure .
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/28/2020
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability affecting multiple versions across different release cycles. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the PDF parsing functionality where the software fails to properly bounds-check array accesses when processing maliciously crafted PDF files. The flaw exists in the handling of embedded objects and streams within PDF documents, specifically when the application attempts to read data beyond the allocated memory boundaries. The vulnerability manifests when the software processes malformed PDF content that triggers an invalid memory access pattern, potentially allowing attackers to read adjacent memory locations containing sensitive data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in software systems. This weakness occurs when applications access memory beyond the intended buffer limits without proper validation, creating opportunities for information disclosure attacks. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the parsing layer of the PDF processing pipeline, where malicious actors can craft PDF documents designed to trigger the specific memory access pattern that leads to the out-of-bounds read. The exploitation requires no user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can potentially expose sensitive data such as encryption keys, user credentials, or system memory contents that may contain other confidential information. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability could gain access to data that would normally be protected by memory isolation mechanisms, potentially enabling further exploitation or lateral movement within compromised environments. The vulnerability affects multiple product versions spanning several years, indicating a persistent flaw in the PDF parsing implementation that was not adequately addressed in the affected releases. This widespread impact across different release cycles suggests that the root cause resides in fundamental parsing logic rather than isolated implementation errors.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Adobe, which address the out-of-bounds read condition through proper bounds checking and input validation. Network segmentation and email filtering solutions should be enhanced to prevent delivery of potentially malicious PDF files to end users. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1203, where adversaries attempt to gather information from the target system through memory access techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime protections and memory corruption detection mechanisms to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of PDF processing workflows and input validation controls should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the document processing pipeline.