CVE-2020-9719
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader that could allow attackers to read sensitive memory contents. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure, potentially exposing passwords, encryption keys, or other confidential data. Users running affected versions of Adobe Acrobat or Reader 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
Attackers could read sensitive memory contents including passwords, encryption keys, or other confidential information, potentially leading to complete system compromise through follow-on attacks.
Likely Case
Information disclosure of memory contents, which could be used to bypass security controls or gather intelligence for further attacks.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper memory protections and sandboxing, though some information leakage may still occur.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious PDF file). No public proof-of-concept has been released.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Acrobat DC/Reader DC: 2020.009.20075 or later; Acrobat/Reader 2017: 2017.011.30172 or later; Acrobat/Reader 2015: 2015.006.30524 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb20-48.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat or Reader. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow the prompts to download and install available updates. 4. Restart the application when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader
allPrevents exploitation through malicious JavaScript in PDF files
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allOpens PDFs in sandboxed mode to limit potential damage
File > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > Enable Protected View for all files
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict PDF file opening to trusted sources only
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized PDF readers
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader and compare version against affected 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 2020.009.20075 or later for DC, 2017.011.30172 or later for 2017, or 2015.006.30524 or later for 2015📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes in Adobe Acrobat/Reader
- Unusual memory access patterns in system logs
- Security event logs showing PDF file execution
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of PDF files from untrusted sources
- Unusual outbound connections after PDF opening
SIEM Query:
source="*acrobat*" OR source="*reader*" AND (event_id=1000 OR event_id=1001) AND message="*out-of-bounds*" OR message="*access violation*"