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Acrobat ReaderApplication · Adobe

CVE-2013-2720

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-05-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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
Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.5.5, 10.x before 10.1.7, and 11.x before 11.0.03 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-2718, CVE-2013-2719, CVE-2013-2721, CVE-2013-2722, CVE-2013-2723, CVE-2013-2725, CVE-2013-2726, CVE-2013-2731, CVE-2013-2732, CVE-2013-2734, CVE-2013-2735, CVE-2013-2736, CVE-2013-3337, CVE-2013-3338, CVE-2013-3339, CVE-2013-3340, and CVE-2013-3341.

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

Memory corruption vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat affecting versions 9.x before 9.5.5, 10.x before 10.1.7, and 11.x before 11.0.03, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via unspecified vectors.

MitigationUpdate Adobe Reader and Acrobat to versions 9.5.5, 10.1.7, or 11.0.03 or later. Additional mitigations include disabling JavaScript in Adobe products and enabling Protected View for all files.

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
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
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

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 installed Adobe product
    Check Start menu or Program Files for Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat. Also check Add/Remove Programs (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac).
    Affected if Either Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat is installed on the system
  2. Determine the installed version number
    Open the Adobe application, go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader or About Adobe Acrobat. The version number will display in the format X.X.X or similar.
    Affected if The displayed version falls within 9.0 to 9.4, 10.0 to 10.1.6, or 11.0 to 11.0.02
  3. Compare version against safe thresholds
    If version begins with 9.x, ensure it is 9.5.5 or later. If 10.x, ensure 10.1.7 or later. If 11.x, ensure 11.0.03 or later.
    Affected if The installed version is earlier than 9.5.5 for 9.x, earlier than 10.1.7 for 10.x, or earlier than 11.0.03 for 11.x
  4. Verify JavaScript configuration
    In Adobe Reader or Acrobat, go to Edit > Preferences > JavaScript and check if JavaScript is enabled.
    Affected if JavaScript is enabled and the version is in the affected range, as this increases exploitability

A user is affected if Adobe Acrobat Reader or Acrobat is installed with version 9.0 through 9.4, 10.0 through 10.1.6, or 11.0 through 11.0.02.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update Adobe Reader and Acrobat to versions 9.5.5, 10.1.7, or 11.0.03 or later. Additional mitigations include disabling JavaScript in Adobe products and enabling Protected View for all files.

Recommended fix High confidence

Adobe Reader/Acrobat 9.5.5 or later (for 9.x users); for comprehensive coverage, upgrade to latest 11.x release which includes all security fixes

  1. 1. Verify current Adobe Reader/Acrobat version by opening the application and navigating to Help > About Adobe Reader/Acrobat
  2. 2. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat from the official Adobe website (www.adobe.com) or your organization's software distribution center
  3. 3. Close all Adobe applications and any web browsers with PDF viewing capabilities
  4. 4. Run the installer with appropriate administrative privileges
  5. 5. Follow the on-screen installation prompts to complete the upgrade
  6. 6. Restart the computer after installation completes
  7. 7. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking Help > About to confirm the version number matches the target fixed release
Caveat Adobe 9.x is a mature product line; ensure compatibility with existing workflows and any plugins/add-ons before upgrading; consider that newer versions may require license updates

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

Fix this in Acrobat Reader Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2013-2720 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