CVE-2022-24102: Adobe Acrobat DC Use-After-Free Flaw

CVE-2022-24102 Overview

CVE-2022-24102 is a use-after-free vulnerability affecting Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and related Adobe Acrobat products. This memory corruption flaw could allow an attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. The vulnerability requires user interaction, meaning a victim must be tricked into opening a specially crafted malicious PDF file to trigger the exploit.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or malware installation.

Affected Products

• Adobe Acrobat DC (Continuous) versions 20.001.20085 and earlier
• Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (Continuous) versions 20.005.3031x and earlier
• Adobe Acrobat (Classic) version 17.012.30205 and earlier
• Adobe Acrobat Reader (Classic) version 17.012.30205 and earlier
• Affected on both Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS platforms

Discovery Timeline

• May 11, 2022 - CVE-2022-24102 published to NVD
• November 21, 2024 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-24102

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-416: Use After Free, a dangerous memory corruption issue that occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it references has been freed. In the context of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, this flaw resides in the PDF parsing and rendering engine, where improper memory management allows an attacker to manipulate freed memory regions.

Use-after-free vulnerabilities in document readers like Adobe Acrobat are particularly dangerous because they can be weaponized through seemingly innocent PDF documents. When a user opens a maliciously crafted PDF file, the application may attempt to access memory that has already been deallocated, potentially allowing attacker-controlled data to occupy that memory space.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2022-24102 lies in improper memory lifecycle management within Adobe Acrobat's internal processing routines. When certain PDF objects are processed, the application fails to properly track memory allocation and deallocation, leading to a condition where a dangling pointer can be dereferenced after the underlying memory has been freed. This creates an exploitable window where an attacker can potentially control what data occupies the freed memory region.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is local, requiring user interaction to exploit successfully. The attack chain typically follows this pattern:

1. An attacker crafts a malicious PDF document containing specially structured objects designed to trigger the use-after-free condition
2. The attacker delivers the malicious PDF to the victim via email attachment, malicious website download, or other social engineering methods
3. When the victim opens the PDF file in a vulnerable version of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, the use-after-free condition is triggered
4. The attacker's payload executes with the same privileges as the user running the application

The vulnerability does not require any special privileges to exploit, and the attack can be executed without authentication. However, the requirement for user interaction (opening the malicious file) provides a natural defensive barrier.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-24102

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual PDF files with complex or obfuscated JavaScript embedded within document streams
• Adobe Acrobat or Reader processes spawning unexpected child processes
• Crash dumps or error reports from AcroRd32.exe or Acrobat.exe indicating heap corruption
• Suspicious PDF attachments received from unknown or spoofed email addresses

Detection Strategies

• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring Adobe Acrobat process behavior for anomalous memory access patterns
• Implement email gateway scanning to detect and quarantine potentially malicious PDF attachments before they reach end users
• Enable application crash monitoring to identify potential exploitation attempts through unusual termination events
• Use behavior-based detection rules that flag Adobe Reader spawning PowerShell, cmd.exe, or other suspicious child processes

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor for Adobe Acrobat Reader DC versions prior to the patched release running in your environment
• Implement centralized logging for document-related application events across all endpoints
• Track network connections initiated by Adobe Acrobat processes, as post-exploitation may involve command-and-control communication
• Review security logs for patterns of failed or successful code execution attempts following PDF file access

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-24102

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Acrobat Reader installations to the latest patched versions immediately
• Enable Protected Mode and Enhanced Security features in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC settings
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution from document reader processes
• Educate users about the risks of opening PDF attachments from untrusted sources

Patch Information

Adobe has released security updates to address this vulnerability as documented in Adobe Security Bulletin APSB22-16. Organizations should prioritize updating to the following minimum versions:

• Adobe Acrobat DC (Continuous): Update to versions newer than 20.001.20085
• Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (Continuous): Update to versions newer than 20.005.3031x
• Adobe Acrobat (Classic 2017): Update to versions newer than 17.012.30205
• Adobe Acrobat Reader (Classic 2017): Update to versions newer than 17.012.30205

Workarounds

• Disable JavaScript execution in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC through Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Enable Acrobat JavaScript (uncheck this option)
• Use alternative PDF readers for viewing untrusted documents until patches can be applied
• Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential compromise from endpoint exploitation
• Configure email gateways to strip or sandbox PDF attachments from external sources

Organizations should review Adobe's official security advisory for complete remediation guidance and verify that all affected systems have been properly patched.