Code execution via AcroForm event use-after-free
Published May 11, 2022 · Updated May 27, 2026
Use-after-free in Adobe Acrobat Reader allows attackers to execute code as the current user through a malicious PDF file. The AcroForm event processor accesses an object after its lifetime has ended while handling attacker-controlled form events. Exploitation requires a victim to open the file, after which the injected code runs with that victim's account privileges.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Adobe Acrobat Reader allows attackers to execute code as the current user through a malicious PDF file. The AcroForm event processor accesses an object after its lifetime has ended while handling attacker-controlled form events. Exploitation requires a victim to open the file, after which the injected code runs with that victim's account privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-24104
- Published
- May 11, 2022
- Updated
- May 27, 2026
- Vendor
- Adobe
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1204.002, T1203
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 11, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 27, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <=17.012.30205
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <=20.005.3031x
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <=22.001.20085
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <=None
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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