CVE-2019-16454
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. Users who open malicious PDF files with vulnerable versions are at risk. The vulnerability affects multiple versions across different release tracks.
💻 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
Full system compromise with attacker gaining complete control over the victim's computer, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Malicious PDF files delivered via phishing emails or compromised websites lead to remote code execution, allowing attackers to install malware, steal credentials, or establish persistence.
If Mitigated
With proper security controls like application whitelisting, network segmentation, and user training, exploitation attempts would be blocked or contained to isolated systems.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious PDF) but no authentication. The vulnerability is in a core component with reliable exploitation paths.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Acrobat DC: 2019.021.20061; Acrobat 2017: 2017.011.30156; Acrobat 2015: 2015.006.30510
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 available updates. 4. Restart the application when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader
allDisables JavaScript execution which may prevent some exploitation vectors
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allForces PDFs to open in protected mode which restricts certain operations
Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > Enable Protected View at startup
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Block PDF files at email gateways and web proxies
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized executables from running
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Open Adobe Acrobat/Reader, go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader and compare version against affected rangesCheck Version:
On Windows: wmic product where "name like 'Adobe Acrobat%'" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Check that version is equal to or higher than: DC: 2019.021.20061, 2017: 2017.011.30156, 2015: 2015.006.30510📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes in Adobe processes
- Unusual child processes spawned from Acrobat/Reader
- Suspicious file writes from PDF reader
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Acrobat/Reader processes to suspicious IPs
- DNS requests for known malicious domains from PDF reader
SIEM Query:
process_name:AcroRd32.exe AND (event_id:1 OR event_id:4688) AND (command_line:*powershell* OR command_line:*cmd* OR command_line:*wscript*)