CVE-2022-24102 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE • 05/11/2022
Acrobat Reader DC versions 20.001.20085 (and earlier), 20.005.3031x (and earlier) and 17.012.30205 (and earlier) are affected by a use-after-free vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC affecting multiple version ranges including 20.001.20085 and earlier, 20.005.3031x and earlier, and 17.012.30205 and earlier. The flaw occurs when the application processes maliciously crafted PDF files, leading to memory management errors that can be exploited by attackers. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 use-after-free category, which is classified as a memory safety issue where freed memory is accessed, potentially leading to code execution. This particular weakness enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents. The attack vector requires user interaction, meaning victims must actively open the malicious file, but this dependency on user action does not diminish the severity of the vulnerability.
The technical implementation of this use-after-free vulnerability involves improper memory management during PDF parsing operations, specifically when handling certain objects within the document structure. When a malicious PDF file is processed, the application allocates memory for specific objects and then frees it, but subsequent operations attempt to access this already-released memory location. This memory corruption can be manipulated by attackers to overwrite critical memory regions with malicious code, effectively hijacking the application's execution flow. The vulnerability demonstrates the classic characteristics of heap-based use-after-free exploits where attackers can control the contents of freed memory through crafted input data. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates within the context of the user's privileges, allowing for potential escalation of attacks through additional exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-24102 extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with persistent access to compromised systems through the Acrobat Reader application. In enterprise environments, where PDF documents are frequently shared and opened, this vulnerability creates a significant attack surface that can be exploited for initial access, lateral movement, or privilege escalation. The requirement for user interaction makes this vulnerability somewhat less automated than fully remote exploits, but the prevalence of PDF files in business communications and the ease with which users can be socially engineered to open attachments makes this a practical threat. Organizations may face data breaches, system compromise, and potential exfiltration of sensitive information when this vulnerability is exploited successfully, particularly in environments where users have elevated privileges or access to critical systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through official Adobe patches and updates, as the vendor has released security updates addressing this specific use-after-free condition. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these patches across all affected versions of Acrobat Reader DC, particularly in environments where users frequently encounter PDF files from external sources. Additional defensive measures include implementing email filtering solutions to identify and block suspicious PDF attachments, configuring application whitelisting to restrict execution of unauthorized PDF readers, and deploying sandboxing technologies to isolate PDF processing operations. Network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems can help prevent users from accessing malicious PDF files through web browsers. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) indicates that organizations should monitor for suspicious process creation patterns and anomalous user behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security awareness training for users can help reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that rely on user interaction to deliver malicious payloads, while endpoint detection and response solutions can help identify exploitation attempts through behavioral analysis of suspicious memory access patterns.