CVE-2016-1044
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 · uneditedAdobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.16, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30172, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.016.20039 on Windows and OS X allow attackers to bypass JavaScript API execution restrictions via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-1038, CVE-2016-1039, CVE-2016-1040, CVE-2016-1041, CVE-2016-1042, CVE-2016-1062, and CVE-2016-1117.
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 confidenceThis is a critical vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat that allows attackers to bypass JavaScript API execution restrictions. The vulnerability enables malicious PDFs to execute restricted JavaScript operations, potentially leading to sandbox escape and remote code execution. It affects multiple older versions across Windows and OS X platforms.
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<= 11.0.15<= 15.006.30121<= 15.010.20060<= 15.006.30121<= 15.010.20060<= 11.0.15CVSS 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
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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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Identify if Adobe Reader or Acrobat is installedCheck for Adobe PDF reader software on the system. On Windows, look in Program Files for Adobe folders. On macOS, check /Applications for Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat applications.Affected if Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat is not installed on the system, the system is not affected.
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Determine the installed Adobe PDF versionOpen Adobe Reader or Acrobat, then go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader (or About Adobe Acrobat). Alternatively, right-click the executable file, select Properties, and check the Details tab for the version number.Affected if The installed version falls within the affected ranges: Adobe Acrobat <= 11.0.15, Adobe Acrobat Dc <= 15.006.30121 or <= 15.010.20060, Adobe Acrobat Reader Dc <= 15.006.30121 or <= 15.010.20060, or Adobe Reader <= 11.0.15.
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Check if JavaScript is enabled in the PDF applicationIn Adobe Reader or Acrobat, go to Edit > Preferences > JavaScript. Verify if the 'Enable Adobe JavaScript' option is checked.Affected if JavaScript is enabled in the PDF reader. The vulnerability allows bypassing JavaScript API restrictions, so JavaScript must be enabled for the exploit to function.
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Compare installed version against fixed releasesCompare your exact installed version number (found in step 2) against the safe versions: 11.0.16 or later for Classic/Reader, 15.006.30172 or later for DC Classic, 15.016.20039 or later for DC Continuous.Affected if Your installed version is lower than these fixed versions and falls within the affected version ranges listed in step 2.
You are affected if Adobe Reader or Acrobat is installed with JavaScript enabled and the version is 11.0.15 or earlier for Classic/Reader, or 15.006.30121/15.010.20060 or earlier for DC variants.
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 · scopedUpdate Adobe Reader and Acrobat to version 11.0.16 or later (Classic) / 15.006.30172 or later (DC Classic) / 15.016.20039 or later (DC Continuous). Until patched, consider disabling JavaScript in PDF readers or blocking untrusted PDF files at the network perimeter.
Acrobat/Reader 11.0.16 or later; Acrobat/Reader DC Classic 15.006.30172 or later; Acrobat/Reader DC Continuous 15.016.20039 or later
- Check the current Adobe Acrobat/Reader version by opening the application and navigating to Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader
- Close all Adobe applications and any browser instances that may have PDF plugins enabled
- For Adobe Acrobat/Reader 11.x (classic): Upgrade to version 11.0.16 or later from get.adobe.com/reader or adobedownloads.adobe.com
- For Adobe Acrobat/Reader DC Classic (15.x): Upgrade to version 15.006.30172 or later from get.adobe.com/reader
- For Adobe Acrobat/Reader DC Continuous (15.x): Upgrade to version 15.016.20039 or later from get.adobe.com/reader
- Alternatively, use the built-in Help > Check for Updates feature to automatically download and install the latest version
- After installation, restart the computer to ensure all components are properly updated
- Verify the update was successful by checking Help > About to confirm the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-1044 — 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-2016-1044 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