CVE-2022-27794
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 · uneditedAcrobat Reader DC versions 22.001.20085 (and earlier), 20.005.3031x (and earlier) and 17.012.30205 (and earlier) is affected by the use of a variable that has not been initialized when processing of embedded fonts, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction in that a victim must open a crafted .pdf file
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 confidenceAdobe Acrobat Reader DC contains an uninitialized variable vulnerability in its embedded font processing logic. When a user opens a specially crafted PDF file containing malicious embedded fonts, the uninitialized variable can be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user's session.
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>= 15.008.20082, <= 22.001.20085>= 15.008.20082, <= 22.001.20085>= 17.011.30059, <= 17.012.30205>= 20.001.30005, <= 20.005.30314>= 20.001.30005, <= 20.005.30311>= 17.011.30059, <= 17.012.30205>= 20.001.30005, <= 20.005.30314>= 20.001.30005, <= 20.005.30311CVSS 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:3.1/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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Determine the installed Adobe product and versionOpen Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader, click 'Help', and select 'About Adobe Acrobat Reader' (or 'About Adobe Acrobat' for the Pro version). Note the exact version number displayed (e.g., 22.001.20085). Alternatively, locate the main executable (e.g., AcroRd32.exe or Acrobat.exe) in the installation folder, right-click it, select 'Properties', and view the 'Product Version'.Affected if The version number matches one of the vulnerable release tracks: Continuous (DC) versions 15.008.20082 to 22.001.20085, Classic 2017 versions 17.011.30059 to 17.012.30205, or Classic 2020 versions 20.001.30005 to 20.005.30314.
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Confirm the application is used to open PDF documentsThe vulnerability exists in the embedded font processing logic. Ensure the software is used to render or open PDF files, as the flaw is triggered during the parsing of font data within a PDF document.Affected if The software is installed and used to open PDF files, as the vulnerability is inherent to the font parsing component of the application.
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Verify current patch level (if known)If a specific patched version is known in your environment, compare your installed version against it. For the DC track, versions after 22.001.20085 are patched. For the 20.x track, versions after 20.005.30314 are patched. For the 17.x track, versions after 17.012.30205 are patched.Affected if You are running a version lower than the patched versions (e.g., lower than 22.001.20093 for DC).
You are likely affected if your installed version of Adobe Acrobat or Reader is within the ranges 15.008.20082-22.001.20085, 17.011.30059-17.012.30205, or 20.001.30005-20.005.30314.
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 Acrobat Reader DC to the latest version (22.001.20093 or later for the 22.x track, 20.005.30334 or later for the 20.x track, and 17.012.30233 or later for the 17.x track). Until patched, avoid opening PDF files from untrusted sources.
Acrobat DC/Reader DC: version 22.001.20093 or later (or latest available); Classic tracks: version 20.005.30317 or later for 2020 track, version 17.012.30207 or later for 2017 track
- 1. Open Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader
- 2. Navigate to Help > Check for Updates (or Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader)
- 3. Note your current version number
- 4. Download the latest security update from helpx.adobe.com for your specific product line
- 5. Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the update
- 6. Restart the application after installation completes
- 7. Verify the version has been updated to a version newer than 22.001.20085, 20.005.3031x, or 17.012.30205 depending on your product line
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-27794 — 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-2022-27794 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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