CVE-2023-44348 - Critical Out-of-Bounds Read Vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader Reveals Sensitive Memory Disclosure, Bypasses ASLR Mitigations

Adobe Acrobat Reader, a widely popular software used for viewing, creating, managing and manipulating PDF files is experiencing an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in its recent versions, affecting 23.006.20360 (and earlier) and 20.005.30524 (and earlier). This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive memory, allowing an attacker to gain crucial information from the system, ultimately leading to bypassing important security mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR). To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker requires user interaction, such as opening a malicious file.

Vulnerability Details

The CVE-2023-44348 vulnerability affects Adobe Acrobat Reader in both the Continuous (23.006.20360 and earlier) and Classic (20.005.30524 and earlier) release tracks. According to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), the vulnerability has a “High” severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. The exploit allows unauthorized disclosure of valuable information, which could lead to further security risks.

The out-of-bounds read vulnerability occurs when the software reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. This can lead to the disclosure of sensitive information located in memory adjacent to the buffer.

The attacker leverages this vulnerability by crafting a malicious PDF file, which, when opened by the victim, causes Adobe Acrobat Reader to read memory beyond the intended boundary, ultimately revealing sensitive data from the system. Successfully exploiting this vulnerability could allow the attacker to bypass ASLR, a widely utilized security mitigation technique that randomizes the location of important data structures within the memory to prevent an attacker from predicting their location.

Code Snippet

An example of such a malicious code snippet used for exploiting the CVE-2023-44348 vulnerability could be as follows:

#include <stdint.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int malicious_function(char *buffer, size_t size){
    int32_t index = size + 1; // Out-of-bounds index
    return buffer[index]; //Accessing memory outside the intended buffer
}

int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
    char buffer[10];
    int result = malicious_function(buffer, sizeof(buffer));
    printf("Disclosed sensitive memory value: %d\n", result);
    return ;
}

Original References

1. Adobe Security Bulletin: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-22.html
2. National Vulnerability Database (NVD): https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-44348
3. Mitre CVE Details: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-44348

Prevention and Mitigation

To protect against the CVE-2023-44348 vulnerability, users are strongly recommended to update their Adobe Acrobat Reader software to the latest versions, as described in the Adobe Security Bulletin (link provided above).

Be cautious when opening PDF files from unknown sources, as they could contain malicious code that utilizes this vulnerability. Always verify the source of documents before opening them. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict permission policies and implement security measures to prevent unauthorized software installation and limit user access to sensitive data.

Moreover, deploying intrusion detection systems and up-to-date antivirus software can help identify and prevent malicious activities within the network. Make sure to follow best practices in maintaining a secure network, including regular patching of all software, not just Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Timeline

Published on: 11/16/2023 10:15:12 UTC
Last modified on: 11/22/2023 17:15:18 UTC