External risk intelligence

Adobe Reader and Acrobat Denial of Service Vulnerability

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2010-0188

Adobe Reader and Acrobat have a vulnerability allowing attackers to cause application crashes or execute arbitrary code. This could disrupt operations and compromise systems. The risk to organizations is considered high.

1Halo Surface Signal

Denial of Service

Adobe Acrobat

8.0 to before 8.2.19.0 to before 9.3.1

External exposure likelihood

Halo Surface Signal score for CVE-2010-0188

This vulnerability affects Adobe Reader and Acrobat, which are client-side desktop applications. They are not internet-facing services, gateways, or APIs, and their typical deployment is on local end-user workstations. Therefore, they do not have a public internet-facing attack surface.

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

Adobe Reader and Acrobat software contain a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to cause an application crash. In some instances, this flaw may also permit attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected system. The potential impact includes disruption of services and unauthorized code execution, posing a risk to data integrity and system security.

  • Vulnerable Adobe Reader and Acrobat
  • Unspecified flaw allows code execution
  • Potential denial of service

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

This vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat could allow an attacker to impact an organization's operations. The specific attack vectors are not detailed, but the outcome could range from a denial of service, causing application crashes and disrupting employee productivity, to potentially enabling arbitrary code execution. This could lead to unauthorized access or control over affected systems, posing a significant business risk.

  • Local system access required.
  • Attacker triggers unknown vector.
  • Denial of service or code execution.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability impacts Adobe Reader and Acrobat applications, potentially allowing unauthorized access to execute code or disrupt services. The risk is heightened as the vulnerability has been observed in ransomware campaigns. Applying vendor-provided updates is the recommended action to mitigate this risk.

  • Attackers require moderate skill.
  • Local access with user interaction is needed.
  • Business risk is high; treat as urgent.

Priority actions

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

An organization should address this vulnerability to prevent potential denial of service or arbitrary code execution. This issue impacts Adobe Reader and Acrobat software. Identifying all instances of affected software across the organization is the initial step.

  • Find affected software.
  • Reduce exposure or isolate risk.
  • Fix, verify, and monitor.

Frequently asked questions

What is Adobe Reader and Acrobat software used for?

Adobe Reader and Acrobat are applications used for viewing, creating, and managing PDF documents. They are common tools for reading documents, filling out forms, and signing files across various operating systems.

What kind of weakness does CVE-2010-0188 describe?

CVE-2010-0188 describes an unspecified vulnerability. This type of weakness means the exact technical flaw has not been publicly detailed but has been confirmed to exist and have a security impact.

How can an attacker trigger this CVE-2010-0188 vulnerability?

The specific vectors for triggering this vulnerability are unknown. However, the description indicates that it could lead to a denial of service or potentially allow for arbitrary code execution.

Who needs to be concerned about CVE-2010-0188?

This vulnerability primarily affects local systems and is not considered internet-facing. Therefore, organizations should focus on securing internal workstations and devices where Adobe Reader or Acrobat is installed.

What is the first step to address this vulnerability?

The immediate first step for anyone running affected versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat is to identify all instances of the software within the organization and apply any available vendor updates or patches.

References