CVE-2020-9723
📋 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. Users of affected Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Reader
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could read sensitive information from memory, potentially exposing credentials, encryption keys, or other confidential data.
Likely Case
Information disclosure of memory contents, possibly revealing application data or system information.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper memory protections and sandboxing in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious PDF file.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Update to versions after those listed in affected versions
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 prompts to install available updates. 4. Restart the application.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader
allDisabling JavaScript can reduce attack surface as many PDF exploits use JavaScript
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allEnable Protected View for files from potentially untrusted sources
Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > Enable Protected View at startup
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict PDF file handling to trusted sources only
- Implement application whitelisting to block older Adobe versions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Adobe Acrobat/Reader version against affected version listCheck Version:
Help > About Adobe Acrobat/ReaderVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is updated beyond affected versions listed📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes in Adobe Acrobat/Reader
- Unusual memory access patterns
Network Indicators:
- PDF downloads from untrusted sources
- PDF files with unusual characteristics
SIEM Query:
source="*adobe*" AND (event_type="crash" OR error="memory")