Code execution via use-after-free
Published Sep 8, 2026 · Updated Sep 9, 2026
Use-after-free in Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader allows attackers to execute code when a victim opens a malicious PDF file. Adobe identifies the memory-lifetime error but has not published the affected parser, object type, or operation that accesses freed memory. The flaw affects Acrobat and Reader 26.002.21900 and earlier and Acrobat 2024 24.001.30383 and earlier on Windows and macOS; code runs in the current user's context.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader allows attackers to execute code when a victim opens a malicious PDF file. Adobe identifies the memory-lifetime error but has not published the affected parser, object type, or operation that accesses freed memory. The flaw affects Acrobat and Reader 26.002.21900 and earlier and Acrobat 2024 24.001.30383 and earlier on Windows and macOS; code runs in the current user's context.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-81973
- Published
- Sep 8, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 9, 2026
- Vendor
- Adobe
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro 2024
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1203, T1204.002
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 8, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 9, 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=0 <=24.001.30383
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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