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AcrobatApplication · Adobe

CVE-2017-16398

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-12-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 17.012.20098 or later.
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
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 is an instance of a use after free vulnerability in the JavaScript engine. The mismatch between an old and a new object can provide an attacker with unintended memory access -- potentially leading to code corruption, control-flow hijack, or an information leak attack. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.

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

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader's JavaScript engine where the mismatch between an old and a new object provides unintended memory access. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution through potential code corruption or control-flow hijack.

MitigationUpdate Adobe Acrobat and Reader to the latest patched versions provided by Adobe Security Bulletins. Organizations should identify all affected installations and apply the vendor patches immediately.

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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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. Confirm Adobe Acrobat or Reader installation
    Check for Adobe Acrobat or Reader in installed programs via Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or use command: Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*' | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -match 'Adobe (Acrobat|Reader)'}
    Affected if Adobe Acrobat or Reader is installed
  2. Identify exact installed version
    Open Adobe Acrobat/Reader, go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader to display the exact version number and build. Alternatively, right-click the application shortcut, select Properties, and check the Details tab for version information.
    Affected if Version number matches the affected ranges
  3. Compare version against affected ranges
    Match your installed version number to these ranges: Acrobat/Reader 11.0.22 and below; versions 17.0 through 17.011.30066; Acrobat DC versions up to 17.012.20098; Reader DC versions up to 17.012.20098; Acrobat/Reader DC Classic versions 15.0 through 15.006.30355.
    Affected if Installed version falls within any of the listed vulnerable ranges
  4. Verify JavaScript engine status
    In Adobe Acrobat/Reader, go to Edit > Preferences > JavaScript and check if JavaScript is enabled. The vulnerability exists in the JavaScript engine, so it is only exploitable when JavaScript is turned on.
    Affected if JavaScript is enabled in the application preferences

You are affected if Adobe Acrobat or Reader is installed with a version number matching any of the vulnerable ranges AND JavaScript is enabled in the application settings.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 17.012.20098
Interim mitigation

Update Adobe Acrobat and Reader to the latest patched versions provided by Adobe Security Bulletins. Organizations should identify all affected installations and apply the vendor patches immediately.

Recommended fix High confidence

Adobe Acrobat/Reader 2018.009.20050 or later (2015 track: 2015.006.30392+, 11.x track: 11.0.23+)

  1. 1. Verify the current Adobe Acrobat or Reader version by navigating to Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader (or About Adobe Acrobat)
  2. 2. Download the latest security update for Adobe Acrobat and Reader from the official Adobe security bulletin (APSB18-01 or subsequent)
  3. 3. Close all Adobe applications and any browser instances with PDF plugins
  4. 4. Run the downloaded installer with administrator privileges
  5. 5. Restart the computer after installation completes
  6. 6. Verify the updated version matches the patched release (2018.009.20050 or later for 2017 track; 2015.006.30392 or later for 2015 track; 11.0.23 or later for 11.x track)
Caveat Major version upgrades may introduce UI changes; ensure compatibility with existing PDF workflows and plugins before deploying enterprise-wide

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

Fix this in Acrobat Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

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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-2017-16398 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