External risk intelligence

Adobe Reader and Acrobat Sandbox Escape Vulnerability

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2014-0546

This vulnerability impacts Adobe Reader and Acrobat on Windows, allowing attackers to bypass security and execute unauthorized code with elevated privileges. This poses a business risk of data compromise and system control. Organizations should apply vendor updates.

1Halo Surface Signal

Adobe Acrobat

10.0 to before 10.1.1111.0 to before 11.0.08

External exposure likelihood

Halo Surface Signal score for CVE-2014-0546

This vulnerability affects Adobe Reader and Acrobat, which are client-side desktop applications. They are not network-facing services, gateways, or web applications, and their operation is typically isolated to the local user environment.

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

Adobe Reader and Acrobat software on Windows contain a flaw that allows attackers to bypass security mechanisms. This bypass can lead to the execution of unauthorized native code with elevated privileges within the system. The potential impact includes unauthorized code execution and privilege escalation.

  • Vulnerable Adobe Reader and Acrobat software
  • Flaw bypasses sandbox protection
  • Unauthorized code execution possible

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

This vulnerability impacts Adobe Reader and Acrobat on Windows by allowing attackers to bypass sandbox protections. This bypass enables the execution of native code with elevated privileges within the affected system. The attack vector, though unspecified, leads to a significant compromise of system security.

  • Exposed to unspecified vectors.
  • Attacker executes native code.
  • Achieves privileged context.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass security features in Adobe Reader and Acrobat, potentially leading to the execution of malicious code on affected systems. Organizations using vulnerable versions of this software face risks related to data compromise and system control. The potential for attackers to execute native code in a privileged context suggests a significant impact on affected business systems and operations.

  • Attackers with low skill.
  • No access or conditions needed.
  • High business risk or urgency.

Priority actions

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass security measures and execute unauthorized code on affected systems. The impact could include the compromise of sensitive data and disruption of business operations. The vendor has provided updates to address this issue.

  • Identify all instances of the affected software.
  • Isolate affected systems if immediate remediation is not possible.
  • Apply vendor updates and validate successful implementation.
  • Monitor for related security incidents.

Frequently asked questions

What is Adobe Reader and Acrobat used for?

Adobe Reader and Acrobat are applications primarily used for viewing, creating, managing, and manipulating PDF (Portable Document Format) files. They are widely used for sharing documents, forms, and other content across different platforms and operating systems.

What kind of weakness does CVE-2014-0546 represent?

CVE-2014-0546 represents a sandbox bypass vulnerability. A sandbox is a security mechanism that isolates applications and restricts their access to system resources. Bypassing this allows the software to gain unauthorized access and potentially execute code with higher privileges than intended.

How might an attacker exploit this Adobe Reader and Acrobat vulnerability?

The exact method of exploitation for CVE-2014-0546 is not specified. However, the vulnerability allows attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism. This bypass could be triggered through unspecified means, leading to the execution of native code in a privileged context on Windows systems.

Who should be concerned about this Adobe Reader and Acrobat flaw?

Organizations using Adobe Reader or Acrobat on Windows should be concerned. While the vulnerability itself doesn't directly indicate network exposure, it affects client-side applications that users interact with. The Halo Surface Signal suggests this is a very unlikely threat in terms of direct network attack vectors, but user interaction remains a potential risk.

What is the first step for responding to this CVE?

The first step for users running affected versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat is to identify all instances of the vulnerable software. Following that, applying updates released by Adobe is crucial to remediate the security risk. If immediate updates aren't possible, isolating affected systems can help mitigate potential damage.

References