CVE-2024-30306
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 versions 20.005.30539, 23.008.20470 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 execute code 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 confidenceAdobe Acrobat Reader contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability when parsing crafted PDF files. The vulnerability allows reading past the end of allocated memory structures, which can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires the victim to open a malicious PDF 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>= 20.001.30002, < 20.005.30574>= 15.007.20033, < 23.008.20533>= 20.001.30002, < 20.005.30574>= 15.007.20033, < 23.008.20533CVSS 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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Verify Adobe Acrobat or Reader is installedCheck for Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader in the list of installed programs (Windows: Control Panel > Programs and Features, macOS: Applications folder)Affected if The software is not installed - no action needed. If installed, continue to next step.
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Identify the exact product name and versionIn Windows, right-click the Adobe application icon, select Properties, and view the Version field. On macOS, right-click the app in Applications, select Get Info, and view the Version field.Affected if Unable to determine the version - manual investigation required.
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Confirm product type (Standard vs Dc)The 'Dc' suffix in the product name indicates the Continuous (Dc) release track. Standard versions have no suffix. Check the product name as listed in Programs and Features or the application properties.Affected if Product type not identified - compare the full product name string against known Adobe naming conventions.
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Compare version against affected rangesMatch your installed version to the appropriate range: For 20.x branch ( Acrobat 20.x or Reader 20.x): compare to >= 20.001.30002 and < 20.005.30574. For 15.x/23.x branch (Acrobat/Reader Dc): compare to >= 15.007.20033 and < 23.008.20533.Affected if Installed version falls within any of these ranges: 20.001.30002 through 20.005.30573 (20.x branch), or 15.007.20033 through 23.008.20532 (Dc branch). The environment is potentially affected.
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Assess exposure to untrusted PDF filesDetermine whether users in the environment commonly open PDF files from untrusted or unknown sources, or receive PDF attachments via email from external parties.Affected if Users routinely open PDF files from untrusted sources - exploitation requires opening a maliciously crafted PDF file.
The environment is affected if Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader (standard or Dc version) is installed with a version number within the specified vulnerable ranges and users may open untrusted 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 · scoped20.005.3057423.008.20533
Update Adobe Acrobat Reader to version 20.005.30540 or later for the 20.x branch, or version 23.008.20471 or later for the 23.x branch. Users should avoid opening untrusted PDF files until updates are applied.
Acrobat/Reader 20.x: upgrade to 20.005.30574 or later; Acrobat/Reader 23.x (Dc variants): upgrade to 23.008.20533 or later
- Download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader from the official Adobe website (helpx.adobe.com) or through your organization's software distribution method
- Install the update by running the installer with appropriate administrative privileges
- Restart the application after installation completes
- Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release: 20.005.30574 for Acrobat/Reader version 20.x, or 23.008.20533 for Acrobat/Reader version 23.x
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-30306 — 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-2024-30306 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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