CVE-2024-49532: Adobe Acrobat Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2024-49532 Overview

CVE-2024-49532 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability [CWE-125] affecting Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader. Affected releases include Acrobat Reader 24.005.20307, 24.001.30213, 24.001.30193, 20.005.30730, 20.005.30710, and earlier versions across both Continuous and Classic update tracks. An attacker can exploit the flaw to disclose sensitive process memory, which may be used to bypass mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR). Exploitation requires user interaction: a victim must open a crafted PDF document. Adobe addressed the issue in security advisory APSB24-92.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation leaks memory contents from the Acrobat process, enabling ASLR bypass that can serve as a building block for chained remote code execution attacks.

Affected Products

• Adobe Acrobat DC (Continuous track) prior to the December 2024 update
• Adobe Acrobat (Classic track) 24.001.30213, 24.001.30193, and earlier; 20.005.30730, 20.005.30710, and earlier
• Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and Acrobat Reader (Classic) at the same version baselines

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-12-10 - CVE-2024-49532 published to NVD
• 2025-02-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-49532

Vulnerability Analysis

The issue is an out-of-bounds read [CWE-125] in Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader. When Acrobat parses a malformed PDF object, the application reads past the bounds of an allocated buffer and returns adjacent process memory to attacker-controllable code paths within the document.

The disclosed bytes can include pointers, stack canaries, or heap metadata. Attackers use these values to defeat ASLR and stage follow-on memory corruption exploits. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality but does not directly modify integrity or availability.

The attack vector is local and requires user interaction, since the victim must open a crafted PDF in a vulnerable Acrobat build. See the Talos Intelligence Vulnerability Report TALOS-2024-2064 for additional technical details.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or incorrect bounds checking during PDF object parsing. The vulnerable code path trusts a length or index field embedded in the document and uses it to compute a read offset without validating it against the allocated buffer size.

Attack Vector

An attacker crafts a malicious PDF containing a manipulated structure that triggers the out-of-bounds read. The file is delivered through phishing email, web download, or a shared document repository. When the victim opens the file in a vulnerable Acrobat or Acrobat Reader build, the parser leaks memory contents that the embedded payload can exfiltrate or use locally to bypass ASLR. No verified public proof-of-concept code is currently available.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-49532

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected Acrobat or Acrobat Reader crashes (AcroRd32.exe, Acrobat.exe) immediately after opening a PDF from email or web sources
• PDF documents originating from untrusted senders that trigger JavaScript or unusual object stream parsing
• Child processes spawned by Acrobat shortly after opening a document, particularly script interpreters or command shells

Detection Strategies

• Inventory installed Acrobat and Acrobat Reader versions across endpoints and flag any build at or below the versions listed in APSB24-92
• Hunt for PDF samples containing malformed object streams using sandbox detonation and YARA rules tuned for known exploitation patterns
• Correlate file-open telemetry from email gateways with subsequent Acrobat process anomalies on the recipient endpoint

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable endpoint logging for Acrobat process creation, module loads, and crash events
• Forward Acrobat Protected Mode and Protected View logs to the central SIEM for review
• Alert on Acrobat processes performing outbound network connections shortly after opening a document

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-49532

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the Adobe December 2024 security update for Acrobat and Acrobat Reader on all Windows and macOS endpoints
• Verify update completion using software inventory tooling and confirm versions are above the affected baselines
• Restrict opening of PDF attachments from untrusted senders at the email gateway until patching is complete

Patch Information

Adobe released fixed builds in security bulletin APSB24-92 on December 10, 2024. Administrators should upgrade Continuous track installations to the December 2024 release and Classic track installations to the corresponding patched versions documented in the advisory.

Workarounds

• Enable Protected View and Protected Mode in Acrobat to sandbox PDF parsing
• Disable JavaScript execution within Acrobat through Preferences or Group Policy if not required by business workflows
• Use an alternative PDF viewer for documents received from external or untrusted sources until patches are applied

# Windows registry example: disable JavaScript in Acrobat Reader DC
reg add "HKCU\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\DC\JSPrefs" /v bEnableJS /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

# Verify installed Acrobat Reader version on Windows
powershell -Command "Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*' | Where-Object DisplayName -like '*Acrobat*' | Select-Object DisplayName,DisplayVersion"