CVE-2019-16450
📋 TL;DR
This is a critical out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. Successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise. All users running vulnerable versions of Adobe Acrobat or Reader are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Acrobat DC
- Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
- Adobe Acrobat 2017
- Adobe Acrobat Reader 2017
- Adobe Acrobat 2015
- Adobe Acrobat Reader 2015
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system takeover with attacker gaining full control, data theft, ransomware deployment, and lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Malicious PDF documents could trigger the vulnerability when opened, leading to malware installation, credential theft, or system compromise.
If Mitigated
With proper patching and security controls, the risk is significantly reduced to minimal impact.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious PDF), but the technical complexity is low once the malicious file is executed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Acrobat DC: 2019.021.20061 or later; Acrobat 2017: 2017.011.30156 or later; Acrobat 2015: 2015.006.30513 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb19-55.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat or Reader. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to download and install updates. 4. Restart the application when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader
allDisabling JavaScript can prevent some exploitation vectors as many PDF exploits rely on JavaScript execution.
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allEnable Protected View for files from potentially unsafe locations to limit execution capabilities.
Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > Enable Protected View for all files from the internet
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict PDF file execution through application whitelisting
- Implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement if compromised
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Open Adobe Acrobat/Reader, go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader and compare version against affected ranges.Check Version:
On Windows: wmic product where name like "%Adobe Acrobat%" get version; On macOS: /Applications/Adobe\ Acrobat\ Reader\ DC.app/Contents/Info.plist | grep -A1 CFBundleShortVersionStringVerify Fix Applied:
Check version number after update - should be 2019.021.20061+, 2017.011.30156+, or 2015.006.30513+ depending on product.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Adobe crash logs with memory access violations
- Windows Event Logs showing Acrobat/Reader crashes with exception codes like 0xC0000005
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Acrobat/Reader processes
- DNS requests to suspicious domains after PDF opening
SIEM Query:
source="*acrobat*" OR process="AcroRd32.exe" AND (event_id=1000 OR exception_code="0xC0000005")