CVE-2024-41869: Adobe Acrobat Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2024-41869 Overview

Acrobat Reader versions 24.002.21005, 24.001.30159, 20.005.30655, 24.003.20054 and earlier are affected by a Use After Free vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability can lead to arbitrary code execution, allowing a threat actor to execute malicious code on a victim's system.

Affected Products

• Adobe Acrobat
• Adobe Acrobat DC
• Adobe Acrobat Reader

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-09-13T09:15:11.257 - CVE CVE-2024-41869 published to NVD
• 2024-09-19T15:09:52.967 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-41869

Vulnerability Analysis

The use after free vulnerability resides within the memory management of Adobe Acrobat Reader. When a user opens a crafted PDF file, memory previously allocated and then freed may be accessed, leading to unexpected behavior and potential execution of arbitrary code.

Root Cause

The core issue is improper handling of memory release and reallocation within the Adobe Acrobat Reader's rendering engine, leading to dangling pointers that may be exploited by crafted input.

Attack Vector

An attacker must convince the user to open a maliciously crafted PDF file.

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

int main() {
    char *buffer = new char[100];
    delete[] buffer;
    std::ifstream pdfFile("malicious.pdf");
    pdfFile.read(buffer, 100);
    return 0;
}

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-41869

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes when opening specific PDF files
• Suspicious file activity upon opening PDFs
• Unusual network activity following PDF access

Detection Strategies

Employ behavior-based detection to identify processes exhibiting unusual memory access patterns after interacting with PDF files. Utilize both heuristic analysis and machine learning models to detect anomalies.

Monitoring Recommendations

Regularly update intrusion detection systems and endpoint protection solutions with the latest signatures. Use SentinelOne's advanced threat detection capabilities to monitor for behavioral anomalies indicative of use after free exploits.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-41869

Immediate Actions Required

• Deploy the latest security patches for Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader.
• Educate users on the risks of opening PDFs from untrusted sources.
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized execution.

Patch Information

Adobe has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Detailed patch information and downloads can be found on the Adobe Security Bulletin.

Workarounds

Consider disabling JavaScript in PDFs within Adobe Acrobat Reader as an interim measure to reduce interaction potential.

# Configuration example to disable JavaScript
open "/Applications/Adobe Acrobat Reader.app"
"Preferences" > "JavaScript" > "Uncheck Enable Acrobat JavaScript"