CVE-2019-8195
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting an untrusted pointer dereference in JBIG2Globals stream processing. Successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise. Users of affected Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions are vulnerable.
💻 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 of the affected system, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Malicious PDF documents could trigger the vulnerability when opened, allowing attackers to install malware, steal credentials, or establish persistence on the victim's system.
If Mitigated
With proper patching and security controls, the risk is reduced to minimal, though users should still exercise caution with untrusted PDF files.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious PDF), but the technical complexity is low with public proof-of-concept available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2019.012.20056, 2017.011.30166, 2015.006.30523 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb19-49.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat or Reader. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install available updates. 4. Restart the application. Alternatively, download and install the latest version from Adobe's website.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader
allDisabling JavaScript reduces attack surface and may prevent exploitation of some PDF-based vulnerabilities
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View for untrusted files
allConfigure Adobe Reader to open untrusted PDFs in Protected View mode
Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > Check 'Enable Protected View at startup' and 'Enable Enhanced Security'
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable Adobe Reader/Acrobat as default PDF handler and use alternative PDF viewers
- Implement application whitelisting to block execution of Adobe Reader/Acrobat
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Adobe Acrobat/Reader version via Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader. If version is 2019.012.20040 or earlier, 2017.011.30148 or earlier, or 2015.006.30503 or earlier, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Windows: wmic product where "name like 'Adobe Acrobat%' or name like 'Adobe Reader%'" get name,versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 2019.012.20056 or later, 2017.011.30166 or later, or 2015.006.30523 or later. Test with known malicious PDF samples if available.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes of Adobe Acrobat/Reader with unusual error codes
- Process creation from Adobe Acrobat/Reader with suspicious command lines
- Unusual network connections originating from Adobe processes
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Adobe processes to suspicious IPs/domains
- DNS requests for known malicious domains from systems running vulnerable Adobe versions
SIEM Query:
source="*adobe*" AND (event_id=1000 OR event_id=1001) AND process_name="AcroRd32.exe" OR process_name="Acrobat.exe"🔗 References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/155224/Adobe-Acrobat-Reader-DC-For-Windows-Malformed-JBIG2Globals-Stream-Uninitialized-Pointer.html
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb19-49.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/155224/Adobe-Acrobat-Reader-DC-For-Windows-Malformed-JBIG2Globals-Stream-Uninitialized-Pointer.html
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb19-49.html
