Adobe Acrobat and Reader Double Free Vulnerability
Adobe · Acrobat and Reader
A double free flaw in Adobe Acrobat and Reader, the PDF application's core document-handling code, lets a crafted input trigger the same memory to be freed twice. An attacker who gets a user to open a malicious document can run arbitrary code with that user's privileges, provided the user interacts with the file and no authentication is needed.
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.30079 and earlier, and 2015.006.30417 and earlier have a Double Free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.
- 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.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 56 days before it was disclosed.
- First seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidence56 days before
- Disclosedday 0
- Added to CISA KEVEU database agrees+4 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
2 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 2ExecutionTA0002
This vulnerability is exploited via embedded javascript within a user-executed malicious pdf. There are two mapped exploitation_technqiues for this CVE.
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 68 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-2018-4990 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.
JavaScriptT1059.00729 general rules
- Adwind RAT / JRAThightest
- Adwind RAT / JRAT File Artifacthightest
- Csc.EXE Execution Form Potentially Suspicious Parenthightest
- Cscript/Wscript Uncommon Script Extension Executionhightest
- HackTool - CACTUSTORCH Remote Thread Creationhightest
- HackTool - Koadic Executionhightest
- HTML Help HH.EXE Suspicious Child Processhightest
- JXA In-memory Execution Via OSAScripthightest
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