CVE-2019-8209 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 use after free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution .
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2024
Adobe Acrobat and Reader contain a critical use after free vulnerability in multiple version ranges that poses significant security risks to users. This vulnerability affects versions 2019.012.20040 and earlier, 2017.011.30148 and earlier, and 2015.006.30503 and earlier, representing a widespread issue across multiple product lines and release cycles. The flaw manifests as a memory management error where the application continues to reference memory locations after they have been freed, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit this condition. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category, which specifically addresses use after free conditions in software systems.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution within the context of the affected application. When an attacker successfully triggers this use after free condition, they can manipulate the application's memory layout to redirect execution flow and inject malicious code. This allows for complete compromise of the affected system, as the malicious code executes with the privileges of the Acrobat or Reader process. The vulnerability represents a serious threat vector because Adobe Reader and Acrobat are widely deployed across enterprise environments and personal computing systems, making successful exploitation potentially widespread and impactful.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations that rely on Adobe's document processing software. Attackers can leverage this flaw through crafted PDF files delivered via phishing campaigns, malicious websites, or other attack vectors that prompt users to open infected documents. The exploitation typically occurs when the application processes specially crafted content within a PDF file that triggers the memory management error. This vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including initial access through malicious files and execution through legitimate system processes. The use after free condition allows attackers to bypass many traditional security controls by operating within the legitimate application context.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by updating to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader that contain patches for this use after free condition. Adobe has released security updates addressing this issue, and system administrators should deploy these patches across all affected systems. Additional mitigations include implementing strict email filtering policies to prevent delivery of potentially malicious PDF attachments, disabling automatic PDF processing in web browsers, and conducting security awareness training to help users identify suspicious documents. Network segmentation and monitoring for unusual PDF processing activities can also help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current software versions and following proper patch management procedures to prevent exploitation of known memory corruption vulnerabilities that can lead to complete system compromise.