CVE-2023-21612

Description

Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 22.003.20282 (and earlier), 22.003.20281 (and earlier) and 20.005.30418 (and earlier) are affected by a Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Incorrect Permissions vulnerability that could result in privilege escalation in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

Overview

State: PUBLISHED
Assigner (CNA): adobe
CVSS severity: HIGH
CVSS score: 7.8 / 10
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Effective score: 7.8 / 10 HIGH source: CNA overview
CWE(s): CWE-379
Reserved: 2022-12-01
Published: 2023-01-18 01:00 UTC
Last updated: 2025-03-05 20:30 UTC
Source: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2023/21xxx/CVE-2023-21612.json
Linked Threat: CVE-2023-21612 — Adobe Acrobat Reader Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Incorrect Permissions Privilege escalation

NVD triage scoring NVD CVE 2.0

Layer NVD adds on top of the CNA's CVE record — published / last-modified timestamps, exploitability / impact subscores, and the FIRST.org EPSS probability that this CVE will be exploited in the wild in the next 30 days.

NVD published: 2023-01-18 19:15:12 UTC
NVD last modified: 2026-06-17 05:33:17 UTC
NVD CVSS v3.1: 7.8 / 10 HIGH source: psirt@adobe.com
NVD CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploitability subscore: 1.8 / 10
Impact subscore: 5.9 / 10
EPSS score: 0.0040 (probability of exploitation in next 30 days)
EPSS percentile: 32.44% vs all CVEs — higher = more likely to be exploited, as of 2026-07-29

European Union Vulnerability Database ENISA EUVD

ENISA's official EU repository for curated vulnerability intelligence. Carries a separate identifier (EUVD-YYYY-NNNN) and frequently exposes an earlier-published description + CVSS than NVD does.

EUVD ID: EUVD-2023-25779
Assigner: adobe
Published: Jan 18, 2023, 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Mar 5, 2025, 7:30:03 PM
EUVD base score (CVSS 3.1): 7.8 / 10
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EUVD-reported EPSS: 0.1000
Vendors: Adobe
Products: Acrobat Reader (unspecified ≤20.005.30418)

Acrobat Reader (unspecified ≤None)

Acrobat Reader (unspecified ≤22.003.20282)

Acrobat Reader (unspecified ≤22.003.20281)
Aliases: GHSA-544p-pxvx-hqq5

ENISA description: Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 22.003.20282 (and earlier), 22.003.20281 (and earlier) and 20.005.30418 (and earlier) are affected by a Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Incorrect Permissions vulnerability that could result in privilege escalation in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

EUVD references (1)

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html

Affected products (1)

Vendor	Product	Versions	Platforms
Adobe	Acrobat Reader	`unspecified` (affected), `unspecified` (affected), `unspecified` (affected), `unspecified` (affected)	—

Affected products — CPE 2.3 (6) NVD

NVD's normalized CPE 2.3 matchers, used by vendor tools (vulnerability scanners, asset managers) for automated detection. Compare with the CNA's free-text "Affected products" section above.

cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:*

Vendor references (1)

References embedded in the original CVE record by the assigning CNA.

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html

Web references (6)

DuckDuckGo results ranked by threat-intel / vendor advisory domains. Generated by the 🔎 Find references (web) button above — same flow as the Remediations search.

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/reader/apsb23-01.html rapid7:helpx.adobe.com
http://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/379.html rapid7:cwe.mitre.org
https://attackerkb.com/topics/CVE-2023-21612 rapid7:attackerkb.com
https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2023-25779 rapid7:euvd.enisa.europa.eu
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html rapid7:helpx.adobe.com
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-21612 rapid7:www.cve.org

NVD-tagged references (2)

Reference list NVD curates from the CNA record, vendor advisories, and third-party reports. The tag chips below are NVD's analyst-assigned categories.

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html psirt@adobe.com Vendor Advisory
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 Vendor Advisory

Remediations (16)

Remediations are stored against the linked Threat row; the list below is deduplicated across both pages.

‎Google Gemini

web:gemini.google.com

Meet Gemini, Google's AI assistant. Get help with writing, planning, brainstorming, and more. Experience the power of generative AI.

2026-06-04 01:42 UTC
Microsoft Patch Tuesday, December 2025 Edition - Krebs on Security

web:krebsonsecurity.com

Microsoft today pushed updates to fix at least 56 security flaws in its Windows operating systems and supported software. This final Patch Tuesday of 2025 tackles one zero-day bug that is already ...

2026-06-04 01:42 UTC
Oracle Critical Patch Update Advisory - April 2024

web:www.oracle.com

This Critical Patch Update contains 441 new security patches across the product families listed below. Please note that an MOS note summarizing the content of this Critical Patch Update and other Oracle Software Security Assurance activities is located at April 2024 Critical Patch Update: Executive Summary and Analysis.

2026-06-04 01:42 UTC
Security Update Guide - Microsoft Security Response Center

web:msrc.microsoft.com

Access Microsoft Security Response Center's guide to address vulnerabilities, manage security risks, and keep your systems protected with the latest updates.

2026-06-04 01:42 UTC
NVD - Vulnerabilities

web:nvd.nist.gov

Vulnerabilities All vulnerabilities in the NVD have been assigned a CVE identifier and thus, abide by the definition below. CVE defines a vulnerability as: "A weakness in the computational logic (e.g., code) found in software and hardware components that, when exploited, results in a negative impact to confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Mitigation of the vulnerabilities in this ...

2026-06-04 01:42 UTC
Security Updates - Red Hat Customer Portal

web:access.redhat.com

Learn about our open source products, services, and company. You are here

2026-06-04 01:42 UTC
CVE: Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures

web:www.cve.org

At cve .org, we provide the authoritative reference method for publicly known information-security vulnerabilities and exposures

2026-05-22 05:44 UTC
Microsoft Patch Tuesday - January 2026 - Lansweeper

web:www.lansweeper.com

Which vulnerabilities, issues, and other things did Microsoft update? Discover what's new using Lansweeper's Patch Tuesday January 2026 summary.

2026-05-22 05:44 UTC
Oracle Critical Patch Update Advisory - April 2026

web:www.oracle.com

This Critical Patch Update contains 481 new security patches across the product families listed below. Please note that an MOS note summarizing the content of this Critical Patch Update and other Oracle Software Security Assurance activities is located at April 2026 Critical Patch Update: Executive Summary and Analysis.

2026-05-22 05:44 UTC
Vulnerability Remediation vs. Mitigation: What are the Differences ...

web:www.secure.com

Learn the difference between vulnerability remediation and mitigation , and how a risk-based strategy can strengthen your security posture.

2026-05-22 05:44 UTC
Microsoft Rolls Out Mitigations for 'YellowKey' BitLocker ...

web:www.securityweek.com

Microsoft has announced mitigations for CVE -2026-45585, a BitLocker bypass triggered via FsTx in Windows Recovery.

2026-05-22 05:44 UTC
Microsoft Releases Mitigation for Windows BitLocker Security Bypass 0 ...

web:cybersecuritynews.com

No patch has been released yet; Microsoft has instead issued a multi-step manual mitigation guide while a formal security update is prepared. Windows BitLocker Security Bypass The vulnerability originates in WinRE's handling of the BootExecute registry value under HKLM\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager.

2026-05-22 05:44 UTC
Security Update Guide - Microsoft

web:portal.msrc.microsoft.com

The Security Update Guide provides information on the latest Microsoft security updates, helping users understand and address potential vulnerabilities effectively.

2026-05-22 05:44 UTC
The Difference Between Mitigation and Remediation: A Cyber Practitioner ...

web:securityboulevard.com

For cyber practitioners, the choice between mitigation and remediation often hinges on practical constraints. Immediate remediation might not be feasible due to operational dependencies or the potential impact on business continuity. In these scenarios, mitigation provides a valuable stopgap, offering protection while more permanent fixes are devised and deployed. What Are We Trying to ...

2026-05-22 05:44 UTC
Google Translate

web:translate.google.com

Google's service, offered free of charge, instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages.

2026-05-22 05:44 UTC
A guide to vulnerability remediation vs mitigation | @Bugcrowd

web:www.bugcrowd.com

Vulnerability mitigation is typically considered a temporary or interim solution. While mitigation measures can reduce the immediate risk associated with vulnerabilities, they may not provide a permanent fix . Organizations should aim to prioritize and plan for complete vulnerability remediation whenever feasible and allocate resources accordingly.

2026-05-22 05:44 UTC

AI Forensic Analysis

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Raw JSON

The full cvelistV5 record. Download as CVE-2023-21612.json.

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        "references": [
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            "tags": [
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          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container"
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      {
        "metrics": [
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    "cna": {
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          "versions": [
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