CVE-2010-0814 is a vulnerability that was discovered in 2010 in the Adobe Reader and Acrobat software. This vulnerability allowed an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a victim's system by tricking them into opening a maliciously crafted PDF file. The attack vector was through a heap-based buffer overflow, which occurs when a program tries to store more data in a buffer than it can hold. This vulnerability affected multiple versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat, including some versions that were still in use at the time of its discovery.
When this vulnerability was first discovered, Adobe released a security advisory for it and urged users to update to the latest version of their software, which contained a patch for the vulnerability. However, attackers quickly began exploiting the vulnerability in the wild before many users had a chance to update, leading to widespread attacks. These attacks often came in the form of spear-phishing emails that included a link to a malicious PDF file, which would then exploit the vulnerability and install malware onto the victim's system.
The severity of this vulnerability and the speed with which it was exploited highlights the importance of prompt software updates and regular security awareness training for users. It also serves as a reminder that even seemingly innocuous file formats like PDFs can be used as a vector for cyber attacks if they contain vulnerabilities that can be exploited.