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Full vulnerability report · 2017
CVE-2017-2951High confidence

n/a Adobe Acrobat Reader 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier.: Use After Free

Unknown · Adobe Acrobat Reader 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier.

Official source article: Adobe APSB17-01 ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.

7.8HighCVSS 3.0
Recommended action
Within 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Patch available
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityHighOperational priority:High, unchanged from published severity.unchanged

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
  • EPSS is 3.78% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict local access and enforce least privilege on affected hosts.
  • Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs Unknown Adobe Acrobat Reader 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier. and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 30 daysRemediation target: Within 180 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2017-12092

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

ENISA has published the identifier mapping but no EUVD description has been stored yet.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
Not supplied in the stored EUVD record
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier have an exploitable use after free vulnerability in the XFA engine, related to sub-form functionality. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.

What

Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier have an exploitable use after free vulnerability in the XFA engine, related to sub-form functionality. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.

Why

The program can continue using memory after it has been released, producing unsafe and attacker-influenceable behaviour.

How

An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation without authentication after a user interaction. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.

What

Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier have an exploitable use after free vulnerability in the XFA engine, related to sub-form functionality. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.

Why

The program can continue using memory after it has been released, producing unsafe and attacker-influenceable behaviour.

How

An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation without authentication after a user interaction. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
local access → Use After Free → execute code or commands in the affected security context
Attack surface
Local
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
Required interaction required
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-416 ↗

CWE-416: Use After Free. The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.0: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVLocalAttack vector: The attacker needs local access to the vulnerable system.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UIRequiredUser interaction: Another user must perform an action for exploitation to succeed.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.AHighAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
After compromise, an attacker may use built-in shells, scripting engines, scheduled tasks and native network utilities for discovery, persistence or movement. This is a plausible LoTL path, not evidence that it has occurred for every attack.
UnauthenticatedRemote code executionCWE-416
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

Canadian Centre for Cyber Security · English · AV17-003Adobe Multiple security updates

tention to multiple Adobe Security updates for various products. Assessment Adobe has released the following security bulletins: APSB17-01 - Security updates available for Adobe Acrobat and Reader APSB17-02 - Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player CVE References: CVE-2017-2925, CVE-2017-2926, CVE-2017-2927, CVE-2017-2928, CVE-2017-2930, CVE-2017-2931, CVE-2017-2932, CVE-2017-2933, CVE-2017-2934, CVE-2017-2935, CVE-2017-2936, CVE-2017-2937, CVE-2017-2938, CVE-2017-2939, CVE-2017-2940, CVE-2017-2941, CVE-2017-2942, CVE-2017-2943, CVE-2017-2944, CVE-2017-2945, CVE-2017-2946, CVE-2017-2947, CVE-2017-2948, CVE-2017-2949, CVE-2017-2950, CVE-2017-2951, CVE-2017-2952, CVE-2017-2953, CVE-2017-2954, CVE-2017-2955, CVE-2017-2956, CVE-2017-2957, CVE-2017-2958, CVE-2017-2959, CVE-2017-2960, CVE-2017-2961, CVE-2017-2962, CVE-2017-2963, CVE-2017-2964, CVE-2017-2965, CVE-2017-2966, CVE-2017-2967 Suggested action CCIRC recommends that system administrators test and deploy the vendor-released updates to affected applications accordingly. References APSB17-01: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb17-01.html APSB17-02: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb17-02.html

Official advisory ↗
CERT-FR · French · CERTFR-2017-AVI-005Multiples vulnérabilités dans Adobe Acrobat et Reader

.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2942 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2943 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2943 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2944 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2944 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2945 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2945 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2946 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2946 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2947 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2947 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2948 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2948 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2949 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2949 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2950 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2950 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2951 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2951 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2952 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2952 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2953 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2953 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2954 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2954 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2955 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2955 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2956 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2956 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2957 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2957 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2958 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2958 Référence CVE CVE-2017-2959 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-2959 Ré

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2017-001030Adobe Reader および Acrobat の XFA エンジンにおける任意のコードを実行される脆弱性

Adobe Reader および Acrobat の XFA エンジンには、サブフォーム機能に関する処理に不備があるため、解放済みメモリ使用 (use-after-free) により、任意のコードを実行される脆弱性が存在します。

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
Adobe Acrobat Reader 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier.: Adobe Acrobat Reader 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier.
Fixed
An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
Action
Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. Limit untrusted access and use least privilege until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 11 Jan 2017 · Last source change 5 Aug 2024, 14:09 UTC · CWE-416 · Use After Free

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceNIST NVD
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-09-01
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2017-12092
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceNIST NVD
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment

Missing structured fields: affected product. Missing data is not evidence of low risk; review the primary advisory.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2017-12092 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.
    Before
    not recorded
    After
    {"euvdId":"EUVD-2017-12092"}
    ENISA EUVD ↗
  2. Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: added patch: helpx.adobe.com/apsb17-01.html; added remediation: helpx.adobe.com/apsb17-01.html.
    Before
    no authoritative guidance recorded
    After
    patch: helpx.adobe.com/apsb17-01.html · remediation: helpx.adobe.com/apsb17-01.html
    helpx.adobe.com ↗
  3. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    Adobe Acrobat Reader 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier. · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    After
    Adobe Acrobat Reader 15.020.20042 and earlier, 15.006.30244 and earlier, 11.0.18 and earlier. · Fixed: An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
    CNA ↗
  4. Remediation statusRemediation status changed from Awaiting fix to Patch available.
    Before
    Awaiting fix
    After
    Patch available
    helpx.adobe.com ↗
  5. SeveritySeverity changed from Unknown to High.
    Before
    Unknown
    After
    High
    NIST NVD ↗
  6. CVSS scoreCVSS score changed from not recorded to 7.8 (CVSS 3.0 · NIST NVD · CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
    Before
    not recorded
    After
    7.8 (CVSS 3.0 · NIST NVD · CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
    NIST NVD ↗
  7. Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.
    CNA ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2017-12092↗Patch or update reference · Adobe APSB17-01↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2017-2951 · cve.blacktree.nl