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Acrobat DcApplication · Adobe

CVE-2019-16464

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-12-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 15.006.30508 / 17.011.30156 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
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions , 2019.021.20056 and earlier, 2017.011.30152 and earlier, 2017.011.30155 and earlier version, 2017.011.30152 and earlier, and 2015.006.30505 and earlier have an use after free vulnerability. 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 · moderate confidence

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader that allows attackers to access memory after it has been freed, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability affects multiple version families (2015, 2017, and 2019) across both major release tracks.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied security updates for Adobe Acrobat and Reader to the patched versions. In enterprise environments, deploy updates via software distribution mechanisms and verify completion across all affected systems.

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 DcApplication
Affected:>= 15.006.30060, < 15.006.30508>= 15.008.20082, < 19.021.20058>= 17.011.30059, < 17.011.30156
Acrobat Reader DcApplication
Affected:>= 15.006.30060, < 15.006.30508>= 15.008.20082, < 19.021.20058>= 17.011.30059, < 17.011.30156

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:3.1/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. Check if Adobe Acrobat DC or Reader DC is installed
    Open Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or macOS Applications folder. Look for Adobe Acrobat DC or Adobe Acrobat Reader DC in the installed software list.
    Affected if Either Adobe Acrobat DC or Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is present on the system
  2. Obtain the exact version number of the installed product
    Open Adobe Acrobat or Reader, then go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat DC (or Reader DC). The version number will display in the format like 15.x.xxxxx or 17.x.xxxxx or 19.x.xxxxx.
    Affected if The version shown does not match a patched version (see version ranges in CVE description)
  3. Compare installed version against affected version ranges
    Match your version number against these vulnerable ranges: 15.006.30060 through 15.006.30508; 15.008.20082 through 19.021.20058; 17.011.30059 through 17.011.30156.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges and has not been updated to the patched versions (15.006.30508 or higher, 19.021.20058 or higher, 17.011.30156 or higher)

You are affected if Adobe Acrobat DC or Reader DC is installed and the version number falls within any of the three vulnerable version ranges specified in the CVE.

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 15.006.30508 / 17.011.30156 / 19.021.20058 or later
Fixed in 15.006.3050817.011.3015619.021.20058
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied security updates for Adobe Acrobat and Reader to the patched versions. In enterprise environments, deploy updates via software distribution mechanisms and verify completion across all affected systems.

Recommended fix High confidence

Acrobat DC/Reader DC 2019 version 19.021.20058 or later (or corresponding fixed versions for 2017 and 2015 tracks: 17.011.30156 and 15.006.30508 respectively)

  1. 1. Determine your current Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader version by opening the application and navigating to Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader (or About Adobe Acrobat).
  2. 2. Identify which version track your installation belongs to (2015/15.x, 2017/17.x, or 2019/19.x).
  3. 3. For Acrobat/Reader 2015 (15.x track): Upgrade to version 15.006.30508 or later.
  4. 4. For Acrobat/Reader 2017 (17.x track): Upgrade to version 17.011.30156 or later.
  5. 5. For Acrobat/Reader 2019 (19.x track): Upgrade to version 19.021.20058 or later.
  6. 6. Download the appropriate updated version from the official Adobe website at get.adobe.com/reader or get.adobe.com/acrobat.
  7. 7. Close all Adobe applications before running the installer.
  8. 8. Install the update and restart the application.
Caveat Minor: Standard upgrade may require restart; ensure work is saved. Some legacy features may be deprecated in newer versions.

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

Fix this in Acrobat Dc 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
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

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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-2019-16464 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