CVE-2024-39423
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 20.005.30636, 24.002.20965, 24.002.20964, 24.001.30123 and earlier are affected by an out-of-bounds write 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 confidenceAdobe Acrobat Reader contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability where improper bounds checking allows writing beyond allocated memory boundaries. Successful exploitation enables arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user session when a victim opens a specially crafted 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>= 20.001.30005, < 20.005.30655>= 24.001.20604, < 24.001.30159>= 15.008.20082, < 24.002.21005>= 20.001.3005, < 20.005.30655>= 15.008.20082, < 24.002.21005CVSS 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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Confirm Adobe Acrobat or Reader installationOpen Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or on macOS open Finder > Applications, and look for Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader entries. Alternatively, check the installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat or C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader on Windows).Affected if Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader is present on the system
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Determine installed version on WindowsRight-click the Adobe Acrobat/Reader shortcut or executable, select Properties, then go to the Details tab and look for Product Version. Alternatively, open the application, go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader to display the exact version number.Affected if Version matches the affected ranges: 20.001.30005 to 20.005.30655, 24.001.20604 to 24.001.30159, or 15.008.20082 to 24.002.21005 (for Reader Dc/Acrobat Dc)
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Determine installed version on macOSOpen the Applications folder, right-click Adobe Acrobat/Reader, select Get Info, and note the version number shown under Version.Affected if Version matches the affected ranges listed above
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Compare version against CVE-2024-39423 affected rangesReview the version number obtained from steps 2 or 3 and compare against the vulnerable version windows: Acrobat/Reader versions 20.x prior to 20.005.30655, versions 24.x prior to 24.001.30159 (or 24.002.21005 for Dc variants), and versions 15.x through 23.x prior to 24.002.21005.Affected if Installed version falls within any of the affected ranges listed in the CVE details
If Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader is installed and the version number falls within the affected ranges (20.001.30005-20.005.30655, 24.001.20604-24.001.30159, or 15.008.20082-24.002.21005 depending on product variant), the environment is vulnerable and would require updating to the patched version.
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 · scoped20.005.3065524.001.3015924.002.21005
Update Adobe Acrobat Reader to the latest version and ensure users do not open untrusted or unsolicited PDF files from unknown sources.
Acrobat and Acrobat Reader 24.002.21005 or later; for version 20.x users, 20.005.30655 or later
- 1. Close all instances of Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader
- 2. Back up any important PDF files as a precautionary measure
- 3. Open Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader
- 4. Navigate to Help > Check for Updates (or use the Help menu)
- 5. Allow the application to check for and install available updates
- 6. 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)
- 7. Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update
- 8. Restart the application after installation completes
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 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-2024-39423 — 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-2024-39423 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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