Secunia Logo
Netsikker nu! 2008
 
Adobe Reader WWWLaunchNetscape Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
Secunia Advisory: SA9168
Release Date: 2003-07-10
Popularity: 13,541 views

Critical:
Less critical
Impact: System access
Where: From remote
Solution Status: Vendor Patch

OS:Conectiva Linux 6.0
Conectiva Linux 7.0
Conectiva Linux 8
Conectiva Linux 9
Debian GNU/Linux 2.x
Debian GNU/Linux 3.0
Debian GNU/Linux unstable alias sid
EnGarde Secure Community 1.x
Gentoo Linux 1.x
Mandrake Linux 7.x
Mandrake Linux 8.x
Mandrake Linux 9.x
RedHat Linux 6.2
RedHat Linux 7.0
RedHat Linux 7.1
RedHat Linux 7.2
RedHat Linux 7.3
RedHat Linux 8.0
RedHat Linux 9
Slackware Linux 8.x
Slackware Linux 9.0
Sun Linux 5.x
SuSE Linux 7.x
SuSE Linux 8.x
Trustix Linux 1.0
Trustix Linux 1.1
Trustix Linux 1.2
Trustix Linux 1.5

Software:Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.x

Subscribe: Instant alerts on relevant vulnerabilities


Description:
A vulnerability has been identified in Adobe Reader for Linux, which potentially can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user's system.

The vulnerability is caused due to a boundary error in the "WWWLaunchNetscape" function in the file "wwwlink.api". This can be exploited via a malicious link in a PDF document, which when clicked causes a buffer overflow.

Successful exploitation may result in execution of arbitrary code on the system with the user's privileges, but requires that the user is tricked into clicking the link and that connection type in "WebLink" is set to "Netscape" (default setting).

The vulnerability has been confirmed in versions 5.0.5 and 5.0.7. However, other versions may also be affected.

Several PoC (Proof of Concept) exploits have been released.

Solution:
Don't click on links in PDF documents, or remove the "wwwlink.api" plug-in located in "Acrobat5/Reader/intellinux/plug_ins/" (this removes the weblink functionality).

Provided and/or discovered by:
Identified by to different parties around the same time:

sec-labs team
Paul Szabo


Track this Secunia Advisory
Customers of the Secunia Vulnerability Intelligence solutions will automatically receive updates when new information regarding this advisory is released.

Read more about our Vulnerability Intelligence solutions and what they can do for you and your company.

About this Secunia Advisory
Please note: The information that this Secunia Advisory is based on comes from a third party unless stated otherwise.

Secunia collects, validates, and verifies all vulnerability reports issued by security research groups, vendors, and others.
  
Latest Advisories

Send Feedback to Secunia
If you have new information regarding this Secunia advisory or a product in our database, please send it to us using either our web form or email us at vuln@secunia.com.

Ideas, suggestions, and other feedback are most welcome.

Most Popular - 3 Hours

1. phpBB "gen_rand_string()" Predictable RNG Weakness // 112 views
2. phpBB Avatar Script Insertion Vulnerability // 63 views
3. phpBB "url" bbcode Script Insertion Vulnerability // 62 views
4. phpBB BBcode "url" Script Insertion Vulnerability // 61 views
5. phpBB Avatar Functions Information Disclosure and Deletion // 45 views
6. VMware ESX Server Sun Java JDK / JRE Multiple Vulnerabilities // 42 views
7. Microsoft Windows Vista Page Fault Handling Denial of Service // 42 views
8. VMware VirtualCenter Multiple Vulnerabilities // 31 views
9. Serv-U File Renaming Directory Traversal and STOU Denial of Service // 30 views
10. VMware ESX / ESXi "JMP" Privilege Escalation Vulnerability // 25 views