CVE-2019-8182 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions , 2019.012.20040 and earlier, 2017.011.30148 and earlier, 2017.011.30148 and earlier, 2015.006.30503 and earlier, and 2015.006.30503 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 • 01/16/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects multiple version ranges including 2019.012.20040 and earlier, 2017.011.30148 and earlier, and 2015.006.30503 and earlier. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-129 weakness category, specifically representing an insufficient input validation issue where the software fails to properly validate array indices or buffer boundaries. The flaw occurs when processing specially crafted pdf documents that contain malformed data structures, particularly within the document parsing mechanisms that handle embedded objects or complex formatting elements. When the application attempts to read data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, it accesses memory locations that may contain sensitive information from other parts of the application's memory space.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious pdf file that triggers the out-of-bounds read condition during document parsing operations. This type of vulnerability typically manifests when the software's parser does not properly validate the length or structure of embedded data elements before attempting to access them. The out-of-bounds read can potentially expose sensitive information such as memory addresses, cryptographic keys, or other confidential data that resides in adjacent memory locations. From an operational perspective, successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure that might be leveraged by attackers to gain additional insights into the application's memory layout or extract valuable data that could aid in further exploitation attempts.
This vulnerability aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit development, as it represents a foundational weakness that enables more sophisticated attacks. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked memory contents could potentially reveal stack canaries, heap metadata, or other security mechanisms that would otherwise protect against exploitation. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader attack surface that could enable privilege escalation or more advanced exploitation techniques. The vulnerability's presence in multiple major version lines indicates a persistent issue within Adobe's document processing libraries that requires immediate attention. Organizations should prioritize patching all affected versions and implement additional security controls such as pdf document filtering and sandboxing to mitigate the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in document processing applications, particularly those handling untrusted content from external sources.