CVE-2024-30305
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2024-30305 is a use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader that could allow arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious PDF file. This affects users running vulnerable versions of Acrobat Reader on any operating system. Successful exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious document.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
📦 What is this software?
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 actors sending phishing emails with weaponized PDF attachments to execute malware or steal credentials from targeted users.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper endpoint protection, application sandboxing, and user awareness training preventing successful exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious PDF file. The vulnerability is in memory management during PDF parsing, making reliable exploitation moderately complex but feasible for skilled attackers.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 20.005.30574 or later, 23.008.20476 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb24-07.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install available updates. 4. Restart the application. Alternatively, download the latest version from Adobe's website and install it.
🔧 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
allForce all PDFs to open in Protected View mode to limit potential damage
Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > Check 'Enable Protected View at startup' and 'Enable Enhanced Security'
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application control to block execution of vulnerable Acrobat Reader versions
- Use network segmentation and email filtering to block PDF attachments from untrusted sources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Open Adobe Acrobat Reader, go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, and check if version is 20.005.30539 or earlier, or 23.008.20470 or earlier.Check Version:
On Windows: "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroRd32.exe" /? (check output) or check in Help > AboutVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify version is 20.005.30574 or later, or 23.008.20476 or later in Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Acrobat Reader crash logs with memory access violations
- Windows Event Logs showing Acrobat Reader process termination with exception codes
- Antivirus/EDR alerts for PDF file execution
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Acrobat Reader process
- PDF downloads from suspicious sources followed by process execution
SIEM Query:
source="*acrobat*" AND (event_type="crash" OR exception_code="0xC0000005") OR process_name="AcroRd32.exe" AND parent_process="explorer.exe" AND file_extension=".pdf"