CVE-2022-28263
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 version 22.001.2011x (and earlier), 20.005.3033x (and earlier) and 17.012.3022x (and earlier) are affected by an out-of-bounds read vulnerability when parsing a crafted file, which could result in a read past the end of an allocated memory structure. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to bypass mitigations such as ASLR. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious 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 confidenceThis is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC that occurs when parsing a crafted PDF file. The vulnerability allows reading past the end of an allocated memory structure, which could potentially be leveraged to bypass ASLR as an information disclosure primitive. Successful exploitation requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.
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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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.
-
Check if Adobe Acrobat or Reader is installedOn Windows, open Programs and Features or check for installation directories such as C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat DC\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat Reader DC\. On Mac, check /Applications for Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader.Affected if Adobe Acrobat DC, Acrobat Reader DC, Adobe Acrobat, or Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed on the system
-
Determine the installed version numberIn Windows, right-click the application in Programs and Features and select Properties to view the Version field, or open the application and go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader. On Mac, right-click the app in Applications and select Get Info to view the Version information.Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 15.008.20082 to 22.001.20085, 17.011.30059 to 17.012.30205, 20.001.30005 to 20.005.30314, or 20.001.30005 to 20.005.30311
-
Confirm the application handles PDF filesVerify the application is configured to open PDF files. Check file associations on the system to confirm .pdf files are associated with Adobe Acrobat or Reader, or attempt to open a PDF file with the installed application.Affected if The application is set as the default handler for PDF files or is used to open PDF documents
-
Assess likelihood of opening untrusted PDF filesReview whether users in the environment routinely open PDF files from email attachments, downloads, or other untrusted sources. Check email gateway or endpoint configurations for protections against untrusted file opening.Affected if Users can open PDF files from untrusted or unknown sources without warning prompts or filtering controls in place
The environment is affected if Adobe Acrobat or Reader is installed with a version within the vulnerable ranges and users may open malicious PDF files.
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 · scopedOrganizations should deploy the vendor security updates from Adobe for all affected versions (22.001.2012x, 20.005.3034x, 17.012.3023x and later). Additionally, implement controls to warn users before opening untrusted PDF files and consider email gateway filtering for suspicious attachments.
Acrobat DC/Reader DC: upgrade to 22.001.20133 or later; Acrobat/Reader 2020 classic: upgrade to 20.005.30334 or later; Acrobat/Reader 2017 classic: upgrade to 17.012.30223 or later
- 1. Verify current Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader version by opening the application, then going to Help > About Adobe Acrobat (or Reader)
- 2. For Acrobat/Reader DC (continuous track): Download and install version 22.001.20133 or later from the official Adobe website
- 3. For Acrobat/Reader 2020 (classic track): Download and install version 20.005.30334 or later from the official Adobe website
- 4. For Acrobat/Reader 2017 (classic track): Download and install version 17.012.30223 or later from the official Adobe website
- 5. After installation, restart the application and verify the new version under Help > About
- 6. Ensure Automatic Updates are enabled (Edit > Preferences > Updater) to receive future security patches
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-28263 — 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-2022-28263 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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