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AcrobatApplication · Adobe

CVE-2013-0603

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-01-10
Patch available
A vendor patch is available. No clean upgrade release — apply the published patch.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

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 · unedited
Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.5.3, 10.x before 10.1.5, and 11.x before 11.0.1 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-0604.

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 confidence

Heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat affecting versions 9.x before 9.5.3, 10.x before 10.1.5, and 11.x before 11.0.1. Allows arbitrary code execution via unspecified vectors.

MitigationUpgrade Adobe Reader/Acrobat to version 9.5.3, 10.1.5, 11.0.1 or later. Alternatively, disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader settings or use alternative PDF readers until patches can be applied.

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
AcrobatApplication
Affected:= 9.0= 9.1= 9.1.1= 9.1.2= 9.1.3= 9.2= 9.3= 9.3.1= 9.3.2= 9.3.3= 9.3.4= 9.4
Acrobat ReaderApplication
Affected:= 9.0= 9.1= 9.1.1= 9.1.2= 9.1.3= 9.2= 9.3= 9.3.1= 9.3.2= 9.3.3= 9.3.4= 9.4

CVSS 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
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Adobe product installation
    Check for installed Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader by opening the application and navigating to Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader, or check Programs and Features in Windows Control Panel for the installed product name and version.
    Affected if Either Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader version 9.0 through 9.4.x is installed
  2. Confirm exact version number
    Locate the exact version string shown in the About dialog or the installed programs list. Note the full version number (e.g., 9.4, 9.3.3, 10.1.0, 11.0.0).
    Affected if The displayed version falls within 9.0 to 9.4.x inclusive, 10.0 to 10.1.4 inclusive, or 11.0.0
  3. Determine if version is before fixed releases
    Compare your installed version number against the fixed versions: 9.5.3, 10.1.5, and 11.0.1. For version 9.x, any build below 9.5.3 is affected. For version 10.x, any build below 10.1.5 is affected. For version 11.x, any build below 11.0.1 is affected.
    Affected if Your version is 9.x less than 9.5.3, OR 10.x less than 10.1.5, OR 11.x less than 11.0.1

You are affected if Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader is installed and the version falls below 9.5.3 for 9.x, below 10.1.5 for 10.x, or below 11.0.1 for 11.x.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Patch available Apply the vendor patch
Vendor patch www.adobe.com →
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Adobe Reader/Acrobat to version 9.5.3, 10.1.5, 11.0.1 or later. Alternatively, disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader settings or use alternative PDF readers until patches can be applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to Adobe Acrobat/Reader 9.5.3+ (for 9.x), 10.1.5+ (for 10.x), or 11.0.1+ (for 11.x)

  1. 1. Determine the currently installed Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader version by opening the application and navigating to Help > About Adobe [Product Name].
  2. 2. Download the appropriate patched version from the official Adobe security bulletin at http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb13-02.html or the Adobe Download Center.
  3. 3. Close all Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader instances and any other applications that may be using PDF functionality.
  4. 4. Install the patched version corresponding to the installed major version: for 9.x install 9.5.3 or later, for 10.x install 10.1.5 or later, for 11.x install 11.0.1 or later.
  5. 5. Verify the installation was successful by checking Help > About to confirm the new version number.
  6. 6. Restart the system to ensure all components are properly loaded.
Caveat Major version upgrades may introduce UI changes; ensure compatibility with existing workflows and test critical PDF operations before deploying broadly

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Acrobat Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
Get the patch applied

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-0603 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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