CVE-2009-3459
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedHeap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 7.x before 7.1.4, 8.x before 8.1.7, and 9.x before 9.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PDF file that triggers memory corruption, as exploited in the wild in October 2009. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceHeap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 7.x before 7.1.4, 8.x before 8.1.7, and 9.x before 9.2 allows remote code execution via a crafted PDF file that triggers memory corruption.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 7.0, < 7.1.4>= 8.0, < 8.1.7>= 9.0, < 9.2>= 7.0, < 7.1.4>= 8.0, < 8.1.7>= 9.0, < 9.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm Adobe product is installedCheck for Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installation. On Windows, look in Program Files for folders named 'Adobe', 'Adobe Acrobat', or check registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for entries starting with 'Adobe Acrobat' or 'Adobe Reader'. On Mac, check /Applications for Adobe products.Affected if No Adobe Reader or Acrobat is installed, then not affected by this CVE.
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Identify installed product and versionLocate the main executable. For Adobe Reader, it is typically AcroRd32.exe or AcroRd64.exe in the installation folder. For Acrobat, it is AcroBroker.exe or Acrobat.exe. Right-click the executable, select Properties, and view the Version tab to see the File Version. Alternatively, check the registry value 'DisplayVersion' under the uninstall key found in step 1.Affected if Version cannot be determined, then detection is inconclusive.
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Compare version against affected rangesCompare the installed version number to the vulnerable ranges: 7.0 through 7.1.3 (7.x before 7.1.4), 8.0 through 8.1.6 (8.x before 8.1.7), or 9.0 through 9.1.x (9.x before 9.2). For version 7.x, if the minor version is less than 1.4, it is vulnerable. For version 8.x, if the minor version is less than 1.7, it is vulnerable. For version 9.x, if the minor version is less than 2, it is vulnerable.Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 7.0 to 7.1.3, 8.0 to 8.1.6, or 9.0 to 9.1.x.
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Verify JavaScript is enabled (exploit enabler)This vulnerability was often exploited through JavaScript embedded in PDFs. In Adobe Reader or Acrobat, go to Edit > Preferences > JavaScript and check if 'Enable Adobe JavaScript' is checked. On Windows, you can also check registry key HKCU\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\[version]\FeatureLockDown\bEnableJS (value 1 means enabled).Affected if JavaScript is enabled in the Adobe product, which combined with a vulnerable version creates the exploitation scenario.
A user is affected if Adobe Reader or Acrobat is installed with version 7.0-7.1.3, 8.0-8.1.6, or 9.0-9.1.x, especially with JavaScript enabled.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped7.1.48.1.79.2
Upgrade Adobe Reader/Acrobat to version 7.1.4, 8.1.7, 9.2 or later, or apply the vendor-supplied security patches to remediate the vulnerability.
Upgrade to minimum fixed versions: Acrobat/Acrobat Reader 7.1.4, 8.1.7, or 9.2 (or later releases)
- 1. Determine the currently installed Adobe Reader or Acrobat version by opening the application and navigating to Help > About Adobe Reader/Acrobat
- 2. For Adobe Reader: Download the latest version from the official Adobe website (get.adobe.com/reader) or the specific patched version for your release line
- 3. For Acrobat: Download from the official Adobe website or your enterprise software distribution system
- 4. If version 7.x (7.0 to 7.1.3): Upgrade to version 7.1.4 or later
- 5. If version 8.x (8.0 to 8.1.6): Upgrade to version 8.1.7 or later
- 6. If version 9.x (9.0 to 9.1): Upgrade to version 9.2 or later
- 7. Close all Adobe applications before running the installer
- 8. Run the installer with appropriate administrative privileges
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2009-3459 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2009-3459 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data