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Mallory
Critical

Out-of-bounds write RCE in Adobe Acrobat and Reader 3D content handling

IdentifiersCVE-2019-7120CWE-787· Out-of-bounds Write

CVE-2019-7120 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader affecting DC/Continuous, 2017 Classic, and 2015 Classic releases prior to the vendor-fixed versions. The issue is described by Adobe as an out-of-bounds write and is associated with processing embedded 3D PDF content, specifically the U3D/ECMA-363 handling path involving components such as 2d.x3d and rt3d.dll. Available analysis indicates the vulnerable path can be reached through crafted U3D texture resource metadata that references external texture images; a proof of concept used manipulated texture metadata and an external image reference ending in .iff to trigger memory corruption during image parsing. Crash analysis referenced functions including png_set_filter_heuristics, TIF::Read, _LoadILBM, IFFImport, and rt3d processing routines such as FILETYPE::Func2d, PrepareRescale, GetPicture, and EndPicturesCache. Successful exploitation could result in arbitrary code execution.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Because the flaw is a memory corruption issue in document parsing/rendering, a specially crafted PDF containing malicious 3D/U3D content could be used to execute attacker-controlled code when processed in a vulnerable Acrobat or Reader instance. Depending on the victim's privileges, this may enable full compromise of the user session, installation of malware, access to user-accessible data, and follow-on activity from the compromised host.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Until patching is completed, reduce exposure by preventing the opening of untrusted PDF files, especially those containing embedded 3D content or originating from external parties. In environments where 3D PDF functionality is not required, disable or restrict 3D content display/features where administratively possible. Enterprise defenders should prioritize patch deployment to users and business units that routinely exchange CAD or other 3D PDF documents, as those workflows are more likely to enable the vulnerable code path.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply Adobe's security updates referenced in APSB19-17. Upgrade affected products to the fixed versions: Acrobat/Reader DC Continuous 2019.010.20099, Acrobat/Reader 2017 Classic 2017.011.30138, and Acrobat/Reader DC Classic 2015.006.30493 for Windows and macOS. Use the built-in updater or deploy the patched versions through enterprise software distribution mechanisms.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
AdobeAcrobat Dcapplication
AdobeAcrobat Reader Dcapplication

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What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

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Associated malware

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Detection signatures

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Vendor-by-vendor mapping

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Social activity

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