CVE-2022-28242
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a victim's system. The vulnerability affects multiple versions across different release tracks and requires user interaction (opening a malicious PDF file) to exploit. Users of affected Acrobat Reader DC versions are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
📦 What is this software?
Acrobat by Adobe
Acrobat by Adobe
Acrobat by Adobe
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control of the victim's computer in the context of the current user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement.
Likely Case
Malicious PDF files delivered via phishing or compromised websites lead to malware installation, credential theft, or system disruption for users who open the files.
If Mitigated
With proper patching and security controls, impact is limited to isolated incidents that can be contained through endpoint detection and user education.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file) and bypassing ASLR/DEP protections. No public exploit code was available at advisory publication.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 22.001.20142 and later for Continuous track, 20.005.3036 and later for Classic track, 17.012.3024 and later for 2017 track
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb22-16.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install available updates. 4. Restart the application when prompted. Alternatively, download and install the latest version from Adobe's website.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader
allPrevents JavaScript-based exploitation vectors that might be used in conjunction with this vulnerability
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allOpen PDFs in Protected View mode to limit potential damage from malicious files
File > Open > Check 'Open in Protected View' or configure in Security settings
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized PDF readers
- Deploy email filtering to block PDF attachments and use web filtering to block PDF downloads from untrusted sources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Adobe Acrobat Reader DC version via Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and compare against affected versionsCheck Version:
On Windows: wmic product where name="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 22.001.20142 or higher (Continuous), 20.005.3036 or higher (Classic), or 17.012.3024 or higher (2017)📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes of Acrobat Reader with memory access violations
- Unusual child processes spawned from Acrobat Reader
Network Indicators:
- PDF downloads from suspicious sources followed by outbound connections
SIEM Query:
source="*acrobat*" AND (event_id=1000 OR process_name="AcroRd32.exe") AND (exception_code="0xc0000005" OR command_line LIKE "%.pdf%")