CVE-2023-21609
📛 CVE Title
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC AcroForm Annotation Out-Of-Bounds Write Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Description
Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 22.003.20282 (and earlier), 22.003.20281 (and earlier) and 20.005.30418 (and earlier) are affected by an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution 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-787 - Reserved
- 2022-12-01
- Published
- 2023-01-18 01:00 UTC
- Last updated
- 2025-03-05 20:33 UTC
- Source
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2023/21xxx/CVE-2023-21609.json
- Linked Threat
- CVE-2023-21609 — Adobe Acrobat Reader DC AcroForm Annotation Out-Of-Bounds Write Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
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 19:15:11 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
- 0.0210 (probability of exploitation in next 30 days)
- EPSS percentile
- 79.84% vs all CVEs — higher = more likely to be exploited, as of 2026-07-29
NVD / KEV / EPSS data refreshed 2026-07-30 12:12 UTC. Re-run the 🛰 Backfill from NVD button above to refresh.
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-2023-25776 - Assigner
- adobe
- Published
- Jan 18, 2023, 12:00:00 AM
- Updated
- Mar 5, 2025, 7:33:09 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
- 0.1200
- Vendors
- Adobe
- Products
-
Acrobat Reader (unspecified ≤22.003.20282)Acrobat Reader (unspecified ≤20.005.30418)Acrobat Reader (unspecified ≤None)Acrobat Reader (unspecified ≤22.003.20281)
- Aliases
-
GHSA-v949-9xjh-75fc
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 an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution 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)
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.
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/787.html rapid7:cwe.mitre.org
- https://attackerkb.com/topics/CVE-2023-21609 rapid7:attackerkb.com
- https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2023-25776 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-2023-21609 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.
-
web:www.manageengine.com
Unfold what this Patch Tuesday has in store for you Patch Tuesday, the unofficial term for Microsoft's scheduled security fix release on every second Tuesday of a month, has been a constant topic of discussion ever since its inception. Upcoming Webinar May 14,2026 11:30 EDT & 6:30 a.m. GMT Agenda of the Free Patch Tuesday webinar A complete breakdown of all the latest Patch Tuesday updates ...
2026-06-04 01:12 UTC -
web:www.bleepingcomputer.com
Today is Microsoft's September 2025 Patch Tuesday, which includes security updates for 81 flaws, including two publicly disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities.
2026-06-04 01:12 UTC -
web:nvd.nist.gov
The NVD is the U.S. government repository of standards based vulnerability management data represented using the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP). This data enables automation of vulnerability management, security measurement, and compliance. The NVD includes databases of security checklist references, security-related software flaws, product names, and impact metrics. For ...
2026-06-04 01:12 UTC -
web:www.rapid7.com
Microsoft is publishing 66 new vulnerabilities today, which is far fewer than we've come to expect in recent months. However, the lone zero-day vulnerability this month demands attention.
2026-06-04 01:12 UTC -
web:krebsonsecurity.com
Microsoft Corp. today issued security updates to fix more than 80 vulnerabilities in its Windows operating systems and software. There are no known "zero-day" or actively exploited ...
2026-06-04 01:12 UTC -
web:zecurit.com
Get the complete breakdown of Microsoft's June 2026 Patch Tuesday. We analyze the latest security updates and all critical CVEs .
2026-06-04 01:12 UTC -
web:www.lansweeper.com
Patch Tuesday Microsoft report by Lansweeper. get an overview from all the Microsoft Patch Tuesday 's and fix the vulnerabilities.
2026-05-22 05:44 UTC -
web:www.neowin.net
Microsoft has released Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 11 KB5074109, KB5073455 for January 2026. Here's what's included.
2026-05-22 05:44 UTC -
web:www.pcworld.com
A "high risk" security vulnerability was found in numerous versions of Microsoft Office. You should install the provided emergency updates ASAP.
2026-05-22 05:44 UTC -
web:www.securityweek.com
Microsoft has rolled out fixes for 83 vulnerabilities in its products, including a critical bug, but none of them require urgent attention.
2026-05-22 05:44 UTC -
web:www.computerworld.com
Each month, the team at Readiness analyzes the latest Patch Tuesday updates from Microsoft and provides detailed, actionable testing guidance. The company's Patch Tuesday release for February ...
2026-05-22 05:44 UTC -
web:blog.qualys.com
Microsoft's February 2026 Patch Tuesday focuses on closing security gaps that attackers could exploit, reinforcing the importance of timely patching in enterprise environments. Here's a quick breakdown of what you need to know. Microsoft Patch Tuesday for February 2026 This month's release addresses 61 vulnerabilities, including five critical and 52 important-severity vulnerabilities. In ...
2026-05-22 05:44 UTC -
web:cybersecuritynews.com
Microsoft released its final Patch Tuesday updates of 2025 on December 9, addressing 56 security vulnerabilities across Windows, Office, Exchange Server, and other components.
2026-05-22 05:44 UTC -
web:krebsonsecurity.com
October's Patch Tuesday also marks the final month that Microsoft will ship security updates for Windows 10 systems.
2026-05-22 05:44 UTC -
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 -
web:attack.mitre.org
This mitigation can be implemented through the following measures: Regular Operating System Updates Implementation: Apply the latest Windows security updates monthly using WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) or a similar patch management solution. Configure systems to check for updates automatically and schedule reboots during maintenance ...
2026-05-22 05:44 UTC
AI Forensic Analysis
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Raw JSON
The full cvelistV5 record. Download as CVE-2023-21609.json.
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