CVE-2023-44365: Access of Uninitialized Pointer Vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader Leading to Arbitrary Code Execution

Adobe Acrobat Reader is widely used for viewing, creating, managing, and editing PDF files. However, a newly discovered vulnerability, identified as CVE-2023-44365, affects Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 23.006.20360 (and earlier) and 20.005.30524 (and earlier). This Access of Uninitialized Pointer vulnerability could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploiting this issue requires user interaction, such as opening a malicious file.

Details of the Vulnerability

The affected Adobe Acrobat Reader versions contain a flaw that occurs when the software fails to properly initialize a pointer while processing a PDF file. This can lead to a situation where an attacker could exploit the uninitialized pointer to execute arbitrary code on the target system.

To trigger this vulnerability, the victim must open a specifically crafted malicious PDF file. Once opened, the malicious code would be executed with the same privileges as the user opening the file, potentially allowing the attacker to take control of the affected system.

Here's a code snippet that demonstrates how this uninitialized pointer issue might be exploited

pdf_obj *process_pdf(pdf_doc *doc, ...
{
    pdf_obj *obj = NULL;
    ...
    if(some_condition) {
        obj = pdf_new_string(...); // Properly initialize the pointer
    }
    ...
    return obj; // The pointer might not be initialized if some_condition is not met
}

In the code snippet above, the obj pointer is only properly initialized if some_condition is met. If this condition is not met, the pointer will not be initialized, potentially leading to the uninitialized pointer issue.

Exploit Details

There is currently no public exploit available for this vulnerability. However, as the vulnerable code is found in widely-used Adobe Acrobat Reader versions, an attacker with knowledge of the issue could potentially create a malicious PDF file to exploit the vulnerability.

To protect against such attacks, users are encouraged to avoid opening PDF files from untrusted sources and to update their Adobe Acrobat Reader versions as soon as patches addressing this vulnerability are available.

For more in-depth information about CVE-2023-44365, please refer to the following resources

- Adobe Security Bulletin
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD)

Conclusion

CVE-2023-44365 is a critical vulnerability affecting Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 23.006.20360 (and earlier) and 20.005.30524 (and earlier). The Access of Uninitialized Pointer vulnerability could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user, making this a dangerous issue for those using the affected software. Ensure that proper security measures, such as avoiding opening PDF files from untrusted sources and updating Adobe Acrobat Reader to patched versions, are in place to protect your system from potential exploitation.

Timeline

Published on: 11/16/2023 10:15:16 UTC
Last modified on: 11/22/2023 17:00:04 UTC