CVE-2022-34229 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE • 07/15/2022
Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 22.001.20142 (and earlier), 20.005.30334 (and earlier) and 17.012.30229 (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 • 07/15/2022
Adobe Acrobat Reader contains a critical use after free vulnerability that arises from improper memory management during document processing operations. This vulnerability exists in multiple versions including 22.001.20142 and earlier, 20.005.30334 and earlier, and 17.012.30229 and earlier. The flaw occurs when the application processes maliciously crafted PDF files that trigger memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to freed memory locations. This memory corruption vulnerability stems from a lack of proper validation and sanitization of user-supplied input within the document parsing engine.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to open a specially crafted malicious file, making it a classic social engineering target that aligns with attack patterns documented in the mitre attack framework under the initial access and execution phases. When a victim opens the malicious PDF, the application's memory management routines execute a free operation on a heap-allocated object, but subsequent code paths attempt to access that same memory location, resulting in a use after free condition. This memory corruption can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user, potentially leading to full system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it represents a significant escalation path for attackers who can leverage this flaw to establish persistent access to target systems. Attackers can craft malicious documents that exploit this vulnerability to deploy malware, establish backdoors, or perform further reconnaissance activities. The vulnerability's reliance on user interaction makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from email attachments, shared drives, or web downloads. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability when assessing risk exposure and should prioritize its remediation as part of comprehensive vulnerability management programs.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including mandatory software updates to the latest versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader, deployment of email filtering solutions to block suspicious PDF attachments, and user education programs to reduce the likelihood of opening malicious documents. The vulnerability maps to CWE-416, which specifically addresses use after free conditions in software applications. Additionally, network-based intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for known malicious PDF signatures and suspicious document behaviors that may indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted PDF files, particularly in high-risk environments where sensitive data resides.