CVE-2024-49532
📋 TL;DR
Adobe Acrobat Reader has an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that could allow attackers to read sensitive memory contents, potentially bypassing ASLR protections. This affects users who open malicious PDF files. The vulnerability impacts multiple versions across different release tracks.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
📦 What is this software?
Acrobat by Adobe
Acrobat by Adobe
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Memory disclosure leading to ASLR bypass enabling more severe follow-on attacks like remote code execution
Likely Case
Information disclosure of memory contents, potentially revealing sensitive data or system information
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper file handling policies and user awareness training
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file) and is typically used as part of multi-stage attacks
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Update to version 24.005.20308 or later for Continuous track, or 20.005.30731 or later for Classic track
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb24-92.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
Open Adobe Acrobat Reader
Navigate to Help > Check for Updates
Follow prompts to install available updates
Restart application when prompted
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in PDFs
allPrevents JavaScript execution which could be used to trigger the vulnerability
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allOpen untrusted PDFs in Protected View mode
File > Open > Select 'Protected View' option
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized PDF readers
- Use network/web filtering to block PDF downloads from untrusted sources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader DC for version numberCheck Version:
On Windows: wmic product where name="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 24.005.20308 or higher (Continuous) or 20.005.30731 or higher (Classic)📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple failed PDF parsing attempts
- Unexpected Acrobat Reader crashes with memory access errors
Network Indicators:
- PDF downloads from suspicious sources
- Unusual outbound connections after PDF opening
SIEM Query:
source="*acrobat*" AND (event_type="crash" OR error="memory")