CVE-2023-44367 in Acrobat Reader DC
Summary
by MITRE • 11/16/2023
Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 23.006.20360 (and earlier) and 20.005.30524 (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 • 12/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-44367 represents a critical use after free flaw in Adobe Acrobat Reader software that poses significant security risks to end users. This vulnerability affects specific versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader including those released before 23.006.20360 and 20.005.30524, making a substantial portion of the user base potentially vulnerable. The flaw resides in how the application handles memory management during the processing of maliciously crafted PDF files, creating opportunities for attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the currently logged-in user. The security implications extend beyond simple privilege escalation as this vulnerability can be exploited through social engineering tactics where users must be tricked into opening maliciously crafted documents, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may encounter such files through phishing campaigns or compromised websites.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes the use of freed memory condition where a program continues to reference memory that has already been deallocated. This particular implementation flaw occurs during the parsing of PDF objects where the application fails to properly manage memory references when processing certain malformed structures within PDF files. The vulnerability manifests when the Acrobat Reader application processes a maliciously constructed PDF that triggers a specific code path leading to improper memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to the freed memory region. This creates a classic use after free scenario that can be leveraged by attackers to inject and execute malicious code within the application's memory space, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack vector requires user interaction, meaning that successful exploitation depends on the victim opening a specially crafted malicious file, which makes this vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against through automated means.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-44367 extends far beyond individual user compromise as it represents a significant threat to enterprise security infrastructure. Organizations that rely heavily on Adobe Acrobat Reader for document processing and collaboration face substantial risk of targeted attacks where adversaries craft PDF files designed to exploit this vulnerability. The requirement for user interaction means that traditional network-based security controls may not prevent exploitation, making user education and awareness programs critical components of defense. Security teams must consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling exercises and recognize that successful exploitation can lead to persistent access within the victim's environment, potentially enabling data exfiltration, lateral movement, or establishment of backdoors. The vulnerability's presence in widely used software creates a high-value target for threat actors and can be particularly dangerous when combined with other attack techniques, as it provides a reliable method for gaining initial access to target systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-44367 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that contain patches addressing the memory management flaw. Adobe has released security updates that resolve this vulnerability, and organizations must ensure all affected systems receive these patches promptly. Network security controls including email filtering and web content filtering should be enhanced to detect and block suspicious PDF files that may contain malicious payloads designed to exploit this vulnerability. Endpoint detection and response solutions should be configured to monitor for unusual memory access patterns or process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should implement user education programs to raise awareness about the dangers of opening unexpected PDF files, particularly from untrusted sources, and establish clear protocols for handling suspicious documents. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of Adobe Acrobat Reader to trusted environments and deploy sandboxing solutions for processing untrusted PDF files. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter demonstrates the potential for this vulnerability to be used as a foothold for further attack activities, emphasizing the need for comprehensive defensive measures that address both the immediate vulnerability and potential follow-on attacks.