CVE-2017-3036
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 Acrobat Reader versions 11.0.19 and earlier, 15.006.30280 and earlier, 15.023.20070 and earlier have an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability in image conversion related to processing of the PCX (picture exchange) file format. 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 confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader's image conversion module when parsing PCX (picture exchange) file format. The vulnerability allows memory corruption that can be exploited for arbitrary code execution via specially crafted PCX 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<= 11.0.19<= 15.006.30280<= 15.023.20070<= 15.006.30280<= 15.023.20070<= 11.0.19CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Adobe product and versionOpen Adobe Acrobat or Reader, then navigate to Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader (or About Adobe Acrobat). Alternatively, check the version in the application menu or Windows Programs and Features.Affected if The installed product is Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Acrobat DC, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, or Adobe Reader with a version <= 11.0.19, <= 15.006.30280, or <= 15.023.20070.
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Determine exact version numberNote the full version string displayed in the About dialog (for example, 11.0.19, 15.006.30280, or 15.023.20070). Compare this against the affected version ranges.Affected if Version is 11.0.19 or lower, 15.006.30280 or lower, or 15.023.20070 or lower.
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Confirm PCX image conversion is in useThe vulnerability triggers when the image conversion module processes a PCX file. This module is used when opening or converting PCX image files within the application. Check if the application has processed any PCX files or if the image conversion feature is accessible.Affected if The image conversion module processes a specially crafted PCX file, leading to memory corruption.
If Adobe Acrobat or Reader is installed with a version at or below 11.0.19, 15.006.30280, or 15.023.20070 and the PCX image conversion module is used, the environment is vulnerable to CVE-2017-3036.
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.
From vendor dataUpdate Adobe Acrobat Reader to a version newer than 11.0.19, 15.006.30280, or 15.023.20070. Avoid opening untrusted PCX files from unknown sources.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 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-2017-3036 — 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-2017-3036 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
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