CVE-2019-16459
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2019-16459 is a use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This affects users running outdated versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader across multiple release tracks. Successful exploitation could give attackers full control of the compromised system.
💻 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 compromise with attacker gaining full control, data theft, ransomware deployment, and lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Malicious PDF documents delivered via phishing emails lead to system compromise, credential theft, and malware installation.
If Mitigated
With proper patching and security controls, impact is limited to isolated incidents that can be contained through endpoint protection and network segmentation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious PDF), but the vulnerability itself is easily weaponizable in phishing campaigns.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Acrobat DC: 2019.021.20061; Acrobat 2017: 2017.011.30156; Acrobat 2015: 2015.006.30513
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb19-55.html
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat or Reader. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install available updates. 4. Alternatively, download and install the latest version from Adobe's website.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader
allPrevents exploitation vectors that rely on JavaScript execution within PDFs
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allOpen untrusted PDFs in Protected View mode to limit potential damage
File > Properties > Security > Enable Protected View for untrusted documents
🧯 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:
Check Adobe Acrobat/Reader version via Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader and compare with affected versions listCheck Version:
On Windows: wmic product where "name like 'Adobe Acrobat%'" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is updated to patched versions: 2019.021.20061+, 2017.011.30156+, or 2015.006.30513+📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Adobe Acrobat/Reader crash logs with memory access violations
- Windows Event Logs showing unexpected process termination (Event ID 1000)
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Acrobat/Reader processes
- PDF downloads from suspicious sources
SIEM Query:
source="*acrobat*" AND (event_id=1000 OR "access violation" OR "use after free")