Adobe Acrobat and Reader Universal 3D Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Adobe · Acrobat and Reader
End of lifeAdobe Reader/Acrobat 9 reached End of lifeThe vendor no longer ships security fixes. Remove or isolate the product instead of waiting for a patch. on 26 Jun 2013. No patch is coming: remove or isolate it.
The U3D (Universal 3D) implementation in Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 9.x before 9.3, 8.x before 8.2 on Windows and Mac OS X, and 7.x before 7.1.4 mishandles CLODProgressiveMeshDeclaration array boundaries, allowing out-of-bounds memory writes. A remote attacker who supplies a PDF document containing malformed U3D data can execute arbitrary code, provided the victim opens the document, which requires user interaction and no prior authentication.
The U3D implementation in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.3, 8.x before 8.2 on Windows and Mac OS X, and 7.x before 7.1.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malformed U3D data in a PDF document, related to a CLODProgressiveMeshDeclaration "array boundary issue," a different vulnerability than CVE-2009-2994.
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 0
- Tactics
- 1/15
How an attack unfolds
Based on MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.How attackers get in
Exploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.
First seen exploited 7 years after disclosure. Public exploit code (Metasploit) was available 3 months before disclosure.
- Public exploit codeMetasploit3 mo before
- Disclosedday 0
- First seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidence+7 yrs
- Added to CISA KEVEU database agrees+12 yrs
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques
1 TechniqueOne specific attacker behaviour in MITRE ATT&CK, such as T1190 “Exploit Public-Facing Application”. IDs with a dot, like T1059.004, are sub-techniques., grouped by TacticThe attacker’s goal at a stage of an attack in MITRE ATT&CK, such as Initial Access or Persistence. Each technique belongs to one or more tactics. in kill-chain order 1ExecutionTA0002
This vulnerability is exploited by having a user open a maliciously-crafted pdf file.
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 39 general rules for its techniquesRules for this CVE
0Sigma ruleAn open, vendor-neutral detection rule for log data. Security teams convert Sigma rules into searches for their own SIEM. that reference CVE-2009-3953 directly.CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗
General rules for this CVE’s techniques
These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.
Malicious FileT1204.00239 general rules
- Droppers Exploiting CVE-2017-11882criticalstable
- Ursnif Malware C2 URL Patterncriticalstable
- Exploit for CVE-2017-8759criticaltest
- Potential Maze Ransomware Activitycriticaltest
- File With Uncommon Extension Created By An Office Applicationhightest
- Flash Player Update from Suspicious Locationhightest
- GAC DLL Loaded Via Office Applicationshightest
- HackTool - LittleCorporal Generated Maldoc Injectionhightest
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
What security researchers reported
Not named in any threat report yetAlso mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)
Weaker evidencePulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 202621 Oct 2026
- 44 more on OTX