CVE-2023-29299 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2023
Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 23.003.20244 (and earlier) and 20.005.30467 (and earlier) are affected by an Untrusted Search Path vulnerability that could lead to Application denial-of-service. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability if the default PowerShell Set-ExecutionPolicy is set to Unrestricted, making the attack complexity high. 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 • 08/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-29299 represents a critical untrusted search path weakness in Adobe Acrobat Reader that poses significant risks to enterprise security environments. This flaw affects specific versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader including those up to 23.003.20244 and 20.005.30467, creating a persistent threat vector that leverages the operating system's PowerShell execution policies. The vulnerability resides in how the application handles file paths during processing, particularly when encountering maliciously crafted documents that manipulate the search order for system resources. This issue falls under the CWE-427 weakness category, which specifically addresses uncontrolled search path, a well-documented vulnerability pattern that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code through path manipulation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a specific environmental condition where the default PowerShell Set-ExecutionPolicy is configured to Unrestricted mode, which significantly increases the attack surface. This prerequisite demonstrates the importance of proper system hardening and execution policy configuration in preventing successful exploitation attempts. The attack complexity is rated as high due to the requirement of user interaction, meaning that victims must actively open the malicious file for the exploit to succeed. This user interaction requirement, while providing some defense-in-depth, does not eliminate the threat entirely as social engineering techniques can effectively bypass this protection. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's denial-of-service capabilities, potentially causing system instability or complete application failure.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-29299 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it represents a potential gateway for more sophisticated attacks within enterprise networks. When combined with other vulnerabilities or exploitation techniques, this weakness could enable attackers to escalate privileges or execute additional malicious payloads. Organizations utilizing Adobe Acrobat Reader in their document processing workflows face significant risk, particularly in environments where users frequently handle external documents or where document review processes are automated. The vulnerability's exploitation requires careful crafting of malicious files that manipulate the application's search path behavior, making detection more challenging for traditional security controls. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for PowerShell execution and T1203 for legitimate user execution, demonstrating how the vulnerability can be leveraged through multiple attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate security gap and the underlying system configuration issues that enable exploitation. Organizations should immediately update to patched versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader, as provided by Adobe's security advisory releases, to eliminate the core vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should enforce strict PowerShell execution policies, particularly avoiding Unrestricted mode in production environments where it is not absolutely required for legitimate business operations. Network segmentation and application whitelisting policies can provide additional layers of protection by limiting the scope of potential exploitation. Regular security awareness training for users helps reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that rely on user interaction to deliver malicious payloads. Security monitoring should include detection of anomalous PowerShell execution patterns and unusual document processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software patches and implementing comprehensive security policies that address both application-specific weaknesses and broader system configuration vulnerabilities.