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AcrobatApplication · Adobe

CVE-2017-16376

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-12-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 17.012.20098 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
An issue was discovered in Adobe Acrobat and Reader: 2017.012.20098 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30066 and earlier versions, 2015.006.30355 and earlier versions, and 11.0.22 and earlier versions. This vulnerability occurs as a result of a computation that reads data that is past the end of the target buffer; the computation is a part of the MakeAccessible plugin. The use of an invalid (out-of-range) pointer offset during access of internal data structure fields causes the vulnerability. A successful attack can lead to sensitive data exposure.

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

Out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader's MakeAccessible plugin. The vulnerability stems from using invalid (out-of-range) pointer offsets when accessing internal data structure fields, causing the software to read data past the end of the target buffer. A successful exploit can lead to disclosure of sensitive memory contents.

MitigationApply Adobe's security patches by updating Acrobat/Reader to versions beyond 2017.012.20098, 2017.011.30066, 2015.006.30355, or 11.0.22. Enterprise deployments should ensure patch management systems distribute the vendor updates.

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:<= 11.0.22>= 17.0, <= 17.011.30066
Acrobat DcApplication
Affected:>= -, <= 17.012.20098>= 15.0, <= 15.006.30355
Acrobat ReaderApplication
Affected:<= 11.0.22>= 17.0, <= 17.011.30066
Acrobat Reader DcApplication
Affected:>= -, <= 17.012.20098>= 15.0, <= 15.006.30355

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
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/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 checks

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

  1. Identify installed Adobe product
    Open Adobe Acrobat or Reader, then go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader (or About Adobe Acrobat). Note the exact version number shown in the dialog.
    Affected if The product name is Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader (including DC variants) and the version falls within affected ranges.
  2. Confirm version number
    On Windows, also check via Control Panel > Programs and Features to see the installed version. On macOS, check Applications folder for Adobe Acrobat/Reader and Get Info to view version.
    Affected if Version displayed does not match expected version format from Help menu.
  3. Compare against affected versions
    Match your installed version number to the affected ranges: Acrobat/Reader <= 11.0.22; versions 15.0 through 15.006.30355; versions 17.0 through 17.011.30066 (or 17.012.20098 for DC).
    Affected if Your installed version is equal to or lower than 11.0.22, OR between 15.0 and 15.006.30355 inclusive, OR between 17.0 and 17.011.30066 (or 17.012.20098 for DC) inclusive.
  4. Verify MakeAccessible plugin presence
    The vulnerability exists in the MakeAccessible plugin. Check plugin directory: On Windows typically at C:\Program Files\Adobe\<Product>\Plug_ins\MakeAccessible.api. On macOS at /Applications/Adobe/<Product>/Plug_ins/MakeAccessible.api.
    Affected if The MakeAccessible.plugin/api file exists in the standard plugin directory (vulnerability is in this component).

You are affected if Adobe Acrobat or Reader is installed and the installed version falls within the affected ranges (11.0.22 or below, 15.0-15.006.30355, or 17.0-17.011.30066/17.012.20098 depending on product variant), with the MakeAccessible plugin present.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 17.012.20098
Interim mitigation

Apply Adobe's security patches by updating Acrobat/Reader to versions beyond 2017.012.20098, 2017.011.30066, 2015.006.30355, or 11.0.22. Enterprise deployments should ensure patch management systems distribute the vendor updates.

Fix this in Acrobat Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,980
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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-2017-16376 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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