CVE-2022-34233 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 lead to disclosure of sensitive memory. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to bypass mitigations such as ASLR. 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 • 08/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-34233 represents a critical use after free flaw in Adobe Acrobat Reader software that affects multiple version ranges including 22.001.20142 and earlier, 20.005.30334 and earlier, and 17.012.30229 and earlier. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, creating a dangerous condition that can be exploited by malicious actors. The flaw specifically impacts the memory management functions within the PDF rendering engine of Acrobat Reader, which is responsible for processing and displaying PDF documents.
The technical nature of this use after free vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution and memory disclosure. When a victim opens a maliciously crafted PDF file, the vulnerable code path is triggered, causing the application to access memory that has already been deallocated. This memory access pattern can be leveraged to read sensitive information from the application's memory space, potentially exposing stack canaries, heap metadata, or other security mechanisms. The vulnerability's ability to bypass critical mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) makes it particularly dangerous as it undermines fundamental security protections that are designed to prevent exploitation.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-34233 extends beyond simple memory disclosure, as it creates a vector for more sophisticated attacks that could lead to complete system compromise. The requirement for user interaction through opening a malicious file means that successful exploitation relies on social engineering techniques or delivery mechanisms such as phishing campaigns. However, the vulnerability's presence in widely used software versions means that a significant number of users could be at risk. From an attacker perspective, the ability to bypass ASLR represents a substantial reduction in attack complexity, as this mitigation is commonly employed to prevent memory corruption exploits from succeeding.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use after free conditions in software development. This classification indicates that the flaw stems from improper memory management practices where developers fail to properly track memory references after deallocation. From the MITRE ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving memory corruption and privilege escalation, with the use after free condition representing a foundational weakness that enables more advanced attack vectors. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through patch management, as the vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction and offers attackers significant advantages in bypassing modern security controls. The widespread adoption of Adobe Acrobat Reader across enterprise environments makes this vulnerability particularly concerning from a cybersecurity risk management standpoint, requiring urgent attention from security teams to prevent potential exploitation.