Current-user code execution via embedded-font overflow
Published Jan 18, 2023 · Updated Mar 5, 2025
Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Acrobat Reader allows remote attackers to execute code when a malicious PDF is opened. Embedded-font processing copies attacker-controlled data into a fixed-length heap buffer without validating its length, corrupting adjacent memory. Exploitation requires a victim to open the crafted document or visit a malicious page, and successful code runs in the current user context.
Summary
What happened
Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Acrobat Reader allows remote attackers to execute code when a malicious PDF is opened. Embedded-font processing copies attacker-controlled data into a fixed-length heap buffer without validating its length, corrupting adjacent memory. Exploitation requires a victim to open the crafted document or visit a malicious page, and successful code runs in the current user context.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-21605
- Published
- Jan 18, 2023
- Updated
- Mar 5, 2025
- Vendor
- Adobe
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Classifications
- CWE-122, T1203, T1204.002
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 18, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 5, 2025Record 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 <=20.005.30418
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <=22.003.20281
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <=22.003.20282
- 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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