CVE-2019-8185 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 contain a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects multiple versions across different release cycles. This vulnerability exists within the software's handling of specific file formats and can be exploited through maliciously crafted documents. The flaw allows attackers to read memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive data that should remain confidential. The vulnerability has been classified under CWE-125 as an out-of-bounds read condition, which represents a fundamental memory safety issue that can lead to information disclosure and potentially more severe consequences depending on the context of the read operation. The affected versions include the 2019.012.20040 and earlier releases, 2017.011.30148 and earlier versions, and 2015.006.30503 and earlier iterations, indicating this vulnerability spans several major release cycles of the software.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper bounds checking during document parsing operations, particularly when processing specific elements within pdf files. When the application attempts to read data from memory locations that exceed the allocated buffer size, it can access adjacent memory regions that may contain sensitive information such as encryption keys, user credentials, or other confidential data. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and can be leveraged in conjunction with other techniques for information gathering and lateral movement within compromised environments. The out-of-bounds read occurs during the parsing of maliciously crafted pdf documents, where the application fails to validate the size and structure of incoming data before attempting to process it, creating an opportunity for attackers to manipulate memory access patterns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposure of memory contents can reveal critical system information that may aid in further exploitation attempts. Attackers can potentially extract encryption keys, session tokens, or other sensitive data that could be used for privilege escalation or persistent access to systems. The vulnerability's presence across multiple release versions indicates that organizations using older versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat are at significant risk, particularly in enterprise environments where legacy software deployments are common. This type of vulnerability is especially dangerous in targeted attacks where adversaries have specific information they are seeking to extract from the compromised systems, as the out-of-bounds read can be carefully crafted to access specific memory regions containing valuable data.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by updating to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader, which include patches addressing the out-of-bounds read condition. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing a comprehensive patch management program that ensures all systems running Adobe Reader or Acrobat are updated with the latest security patches released by Adobe. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of Adobe Reader in high-security environments, and deploy network monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected versions and establish baseline configurations that prevent execution of potentially malicious pdf documents. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-125 and its potential for information disclosure make it a high-priority target for remediation, as it represents a fundamental security weakness that can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information within enterprise environments.