dbcve.org
Acrobat DcApplication · Adobe

CVE-2022-44518

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 22.001.20085 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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
Acrobat Reader DC version 22.001.20085 (and earlier), 20.005.3031x (and earlier) and 17.012.30205 (and earlier) are affected by a use-after-free vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. 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 confidence

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC contains a use-after-free memory corruption vulnerability in its JavaScript engine. A specially crafted malicious PDF file can trigger the vulnerability when opened, leading to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. The flaw affects multiple version branches (2022, 2020, and 2017) across both Continuous and Classic tracks.

MitigationUpdate Adobe Acrobat Reader DC to the latest patched version (22.001.20142 or later for Continuous track, 20.005.30417 or later for Classic 2020, 17.012.30253 or later for Classic 2017). Until patched, avoid opening PDF files from untrusted sources and disable JavaScript in Reader preferences.

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:>= 15.008.20082, <= 22.001.20085
Acrobat Reader DcApplication
Affected:>= 15.008.20082, <= 22.001.20085
AcrobatApplication
Affected:>= 17.011.30059, <= 17.012.30205>= 20.001.30005, <= 20.005.30314>= 20.001.30005, <= 20.005.30311
Acrobat ReaderApplication
Affected:>= 17.011.30059, <= 17.012.30205>= 20.001.30005, <= 20.005.30314>= 20.001.30005, <= 20.005.30311

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
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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Adobe Acrobat or Reader installation
    Open the application, go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader (or About Adobe Acrobat). Note the exact version number displayed in the dialog.
    Affected if version is within 15.008.20082 to 22.001.20085 for DC products, or 17.011.30059 to 17.012.30205 / 20.001.30005 to 20.005.30314 (or 20.005.30311) for Classic products
  2. Confirm product track type
    Look at the version number format - DC versions follow the 22.x pattern (Continuous track), Classic versions follow 17.x or 20.x patterns with three-digit build numbers.
    Affected if track matches an affected version range in the CVE documentation
  3. Check JavaScript preference setting
    In Acrobat/Reader, go to Edit > Preferences > JavaScript. Verify whether 'Enable Adobe JavaScript' is checked.
    Affected if JavaScript is enabled and the version falls within affected ranges - this is required for the exploit to trigger
  4. Review PDF handling behavior
    Inspect how PDF files are opened in the environment - note if users routinely open PDF attachments or files from untrusted sources.
    Affected if users open PDF files from untrusted sources while running a vulnerable version with JavaScript enabled

User is affected if their installed Adobe Acrobat/Reader version falls within the listed affected ranges AND JavaScript is enabled AND they open specially crafted malicious PDF files.

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 22.001.20085
Interim mitigation

Update Adobe Acrobat Reader DC to the latest patched version (22.001.20142 or later for Continuous track, 20.005.30417 or later for Classic 2020, 17.012.30253 or later for Classic 2017). Until patched, avoid opening PDF files from untrusted sources and disable JavaScript in Reader preferences.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Acrobat Reader DC 22.001.20093 or later; Acrobat DC 22.001.20093 or later; Acrobat/Reader 20.x: 20.005.30334 or later; Acrobat/Reader 17.x: 17.012.30210 or later

  1. Open Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader
  2. Go to Help > Check for Updates
  3. Allow the application to check for available updates
  4. Download and install the latest security update provided by Adobe
  5. Alternatively, download the latest version from the official Adobe website: https://get.adobe.com/reader/ (for Reader) or https://get.adobe.com/acrobat/ (for Acrobat)
  6. Restart the application after installation
  7. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release for your product line
Caveat Minimal risk - standard security update; may require accepting new license terms

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.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2022-44518 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