CVE-2024-39426
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 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 beyond allocated memory boundaries and could be leveraged for code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction (opening 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>= 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.
-
Identify installed Adobe productWindows: Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\[Version] or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\[Version]; Mac: Open Terminal and run 'defaults read /Applications/Adobe\ Acrobat\ Reader\ DC.app/Contents/Info CFBundleVersion' or check Application folder for exact product nameAffected if Product is Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Acrobat Dc, Adobe Acrobat Reader, or Adobe Acrobat Reader Dc
-
Determine exact version numberWindows: Look for the 'Version' or 'ProductVersion' registry value in the registry key found above; Mac: Run 'defaults read /Applications/Adobe\ Acrobat\ Reader\ DC.app/Contents/Info CFBundleShortVersionString'Affected if Version is within any of the affected ranges provided
-
Compare version against affected rangesCheck if installed version falls into: Acrobat >= 20.001.30005 AND < 20.005.30655, OR >= 24.001.20604 AND < 24.001.30159; Acrobat Dc >= 15.008.20082 AND < 24.002.21005; Acrobat Reader >= 20.001.3005 AND < 20.005.30655; Acrobat Reader Dc >= 15.008.20082 AND < 24.002.21005Affected if Installed version matches any of the affected version ranges
-
Confirm product can process PDF filesVerify the application has PDF handling capabilities enabled (default state) - the vulnerability triggers when parsing crafted PDF filesAffected if Adobe product with PDF parsing functionality is installed and enabled (default configuration)
Environment is affected if Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader is installed with a version number that falls within any of the listed vulnerable version ranges and the application can open PDF files (default state).
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. Apply vendor security patches immediately and implement user training to avoid opening untrusted files.
Adobe Acrobat/Reader 20.005.30655 or later; Adobe Acrobat/Reader 24.001.30159 or later; Adobe Acrobat DC/Reader DC 24.002.21005 or later
- 1. Identify the installed Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader version by opening the application, selecting 'Help' > 'About Adobe Acrobat/Reader'
- 2. Determine the product variant (Acrobat Standard, Acrobat Pro, Acrobat Reader, Acrobat Reader DC, or Acrobat DC)
- 3. Download the appropriate fixed version from the official Adobe website or use the Adobe Creative Cloud/ Acrobat desktop application to check for updates
- 4. For Acrobat 20.x versions (20.001.30005 through 20.005.30636 and earlier): upgrade to version 20.005.30655 or later
- 5. For Acrobat 24.x versions (24.001.20604 through 24.001.30123 and earlier): upgrade to version 24.001.30159 or later
- 6. For Acrobat DC / Acrobat Reader DC versions (15.008.20082 through 24.002.20965 and earlier): upgrade to version 24.002.21005 or later
- 7. After installation, verify the version by checking 'Help' > 'About' to confirm the patch was applied
- 8. Ensure users do not open untrusted PDF files until the update is applied, as exploitation requires user interaction with a malicious file
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-2024-39426 — 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-2024-39426 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