CVE-2019-8024
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. Users running vulnerable versions of Adobe Acrobat or Reader are at risk when opening malicious PDF files. 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 affected system, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user, allowing attackers to install malware, steal credentials, or access sensitive documents.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper application sandboxing, exploit mitigations, and user privilege restrictions preventing full system compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious PDF) but no authentication. The use-after-free vulnerability requires careful memory manipulation to achieve reliable code execution.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Acrobat DC/Reader DC: 2019.012.20036 or later; Acrobat 2017/Reader 2017: 2017.011.30144 or later; Acrobat 2015/Reader 2015: 2015.006.30499 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb19-41.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. 5. Verify update by checking Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader
allPrevents exploitation vectors that rely on JavaScript execution within PDF files
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allOpen PDFs in Protected View mode to restrict potentially malicious content
File > Properties > Security > Enable Protected View for all files from potentially unsafe locations
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict PDF file handling to alternative PDF viewers that are not vulnerable
- Implement application whitelisting to block execution of Adobe Acrobat/Reader executables
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Adobe Acrobat/Reader version via Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader and compare against affected version rangesCheck 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:
Verify version is updated to patched versions: Acrobat DC/Reader DC: 2019.012.20036+, Acrobat 2017/Reader 2017: 2017.011.30144+, Acrobat 2015/Reader 2015: 2015.006.30499+📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes of Adobe Acrobat/Reader with memory access violations
- Unexpected child processes spawned from Acrobat/Reader
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Acrobat/Reader process to unexpected external IPs
- DNS requests for suspicious domains following PDF file opens
SIEM Query:
source="*acrobat*" OR process="AcroRd32.exe" OR process="AdobeReader.exe" AND (event_type="crash" OR child_process!="")