Code execution via stale Annotation object access
Published May 11, 2022 · Updated May 27, 2026
Use-after-free in Adobe Acrobat Reader 2017, 2020, and DC allows remote attackers to execute code through a malicious PDF. Annotation-object handling performs operations without first validating that the referenced object still exists, leaving a stale object accessible. The victim must open the file or visit a malicious page, and successful exploitation runs code in the context of the Reader process.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Adobe Acrobat Reader 2017, 2020, and DC allows remote attackers to execute code through a malicious PDF. Annotation-object handling performs operations without first validating that the referenced object still exists, leaving a stale object accessible. The victim must open the file or visit a malicious page, and successful exploitation runs code in the context of the Reader process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-28240
- 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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