{"id":"CVE-2023-21608","published":"2023-01-18T19:15:11Z","modified":"2026-06-17T05:33:17Z","title":"Adobe Acrobat and Reader Use-After-Free Vulnerability","vendor":"Adobe","product":"Acrobat and Reader","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 22.003.20282 (and earlier), 22.003.20281 (and earlier) and 20.005.30418 (and earlier) are affected by a Use After Free 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.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"A use-after-free memory flaw in Adobe Acrobat and Reader allows an attacker to run arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user. Exploitation requires local access and user interaction, since the victim must open a malicious file.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-31T04:54:35Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.59427,"percentile":0.9912,"date":"2026-10-30","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2023-10-10","dueDate":"2023-10-31","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.","notes":"https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html;  https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-21608","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2023-10-10","exploitedFirstSeen":"2023-10-10","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2023-10-10"}],"evidenceTotal":1,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-416","name":"Use After Free"}],"references":[{"url":"https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-21608","tags":["Third Party Advisory","US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1204.002","name":"Malicious File","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Use After Free","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[],"comment":"This vulnerability is exploited by having a user open a maliciously-crafted pdf file, which can result in arbitrary code execution.","confidence":"high"},{"id":"T1203","name":"Exploitation for Client Execution","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Use After Free","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[],"comment":"This vulnerability is exploited by having a user open a maliciously-crafted pdf file, which can result in arbitrary code execution.","confidence":"high"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2023-25775","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2023-25775","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2023-10-10","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":{"pocGithub":{"count":2,"skipped":0,"earliest":"2023-01-30","earliestUrl":"https://github.com/hacksysteam/CVE-2023-21608","repos":[{"name":"hacksysteam/CVE-2023-21608","url":"https://github.com/hacksysteam/CVE-2023-21608","stars":284,"created":"2023-01-30"},{"name":"Malwareman007/CVE-2023-21608","url":"https://github.com/Malwareman007/CVE-2023-21608","stars":12,"created":"2023-02-13"}]},"first":{"date":"2023-01-30","source":"PoC-in-GitHub","url":"https://github.com/hacksysteam/CVE-2023-21608"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1204.002"],"provenance":"source"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1203"],"provenance":"source"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2023-01-18","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-21608","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2023-01-30","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: PoC-in-GitHub","url":"https://github.com/hacksysteam/CVE-2023-21608","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2023-10-10","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2023-10-10","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2023-10-10","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2023-25775","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":12,"firstExploitFrom":"PoC-in-GitHub","daysToKev":265},"priority":{"score":68.3,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1117 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.82,"detail":"percentile 0.9912"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"2 PoC-in-GitHub repos"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.46,"detail":"base score 7.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]},"lineage":{"familyId":"fam-class-adobe-acrobat-reader-cwe-416"}}