CVE-2019-8041 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 a heap overflow vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution .
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2025
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical heap overflow vulnerability that affects multiple version ranges including 2019.012.20035 and earlier, 2017.011.30142 and earlier, 2015.006.30497 and earlier, and their respective counterparts. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation when processing maliciously crafted pdf documents, particularly within the memory management subsystem. The flaw manifests when the software attempts to allocate memory on the heap for processing specific pdf elements, leading to a buffer overflow condition that can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the victim's session. The vulnerability is classified as a heap-based buffer overflow under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, specifically mapping to CWE-122 which describes insufficient checking of the size of a heap buffer before copying data into it. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a severe threat to enterprise security environments where users frequently open pdf documents from untrusted sources, making it a prime target for exploitation in targeted attacks and phishing campaigns. The attack surface is significantly broadened by the widespread use of Adobe Reader across various operating systems and business environments, creating substantial risk for organizations that have not yet patched affected versions. Successful exploitation allows attackers to gain full control over the affected system, potentially enabling them to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability can be leveraged through social engineering techniques where users are tricked into opening malicious pdf attachments, making it particularly dangerous in corporate and government environments where document sharing is common. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of all affected versions and implement additional security controls such as pdf document sandboxing, email filtering, and network segmentation to reduce the attack surface. The mitigation strategy should also include user education programs to raise awareness about the risks of opening untrusted pdf documents and monitoring for suspicious document access patterns. According to the mitre attack framework, this vulnerability aligns with the initial access and execution tactics, where adversaries establish a foothold through malicious document delivery and subsequently execute code to achieve their objectives. The remediation process requires careful planning to ensure that patch deployment does not disrupt critical business operations while maintaining security posture. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in other enterprise applications, as this type of flaw is particularly common in software that processes untrusted binary data. Security teams should also implement automated monitoring solutions to detect exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to address heap overflow vulnerabilities in widely used software applications. The long-term security strategy must include regular software updates, application whitelisting, and comprehensive security awareness training to minimize the risk of successful exploitation through this and similar vulnerabilities.