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AcrobatApplication · Adobe

CVE-2025-27174

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-03-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 20.005.30763 / 24.001.30235 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 versions 24.001.30225, 20.005.30748, 25.001.20428 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 contains a Use After Free vulnerability in its PDF parsing logic. When a user opens a specially crafted malicious PDF file, the application incorrectly frees memory that it later attempts to access again, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user.

MitigationUpdate Adobe Acrobat Reader to a version later than 24.001.30225, 20.005.30748, or 25.001.20428. Additionally, configure Adobe products to disable JavaScript in PDF files and implement application allow-listing to reduce the attack surface.

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
AcrobatApplication
Affected:>= 20.001.30002, < 20.005.30763>= 24.0.0, < 24.001.30235
Acrobat DcApplication
Affected:>= 15.008.20082, < 25.001.20432
Acrobat ReaderApplication
Affected:>= 20.001.30002, < 20.005.30763
Acrobat Reader DcApplication
Affected:>= 15.008.20082, < 25.001.20432

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 installed Adobe product
    Open Adobe Acrobat or Reader, then go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader (or similar menu item). Alternatively, check Add/Remove Programs or the application file properties for the product name.
    Affected if The installed product is Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Acrobat Dc, Adobe Acrobat Reader, or Adobe Acrobat Reader Dc.
  2. Determine exact version number
    In the About dialog, note the full version string (for example: 24.001.30201). On Windows, you can also right-click the executable and view Properties > Details to find the Product Version.
    Affected if A version number is visible in the About dialog or file properties.
  3. Compare version against affected ranges
    Match your installed version to the affected ranges: Acrobat/Reader (2020 track): >= 20.001.30002 and < 20.005.30763; Acrobat (2024 track): >= 24.0.0 and < 24.001.30235; Acrobat Dc/Reader Dc: >= 15.008.20082 and < 25.001.20432.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of the affected ranges listed.
  4. Verify JavaScript in PDF setting
    In Adobe Acrobat/Reader, go to Edit > Preferences > JavaScript and check if 'Enable Adobe JavaScript' is enabled. On Windows, you can also check the registry key at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\...\JSPrefs (the exact path varies by version).
    Affected if JavaScript in PDF files is enabled - while not required for the vulnerability, it increases exploitability.

You are affected if Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Dc, Acrobat Reader, or Reader Dc is installed with a version number matching any of the affected ranges (20.001.30002 to 20.005.30763 for 2020 track, 24.0.0 to 24.001.30235 for 2024 track, or 15.008.20082 to 25.001.20432 for DC variants).

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 20.005.30763 / 24.001.30235 / 25.001.20432 or later
Fixed in 20.005.3076324.001.3023525.001.20432
Interim mitigation

Update Adobe Acrobat Reader to a version later than 24.001.30225, 20.005.30748, or 25.001.20428. Additionally, configure Adobe products to disable JavaScript in PDF files and implement application allow-listing to reduce the attack surface.

Recommended fix High confidence

Acrobat 20.005.30763+, Acrobat 24.001.30235+, or Acrobat Dc/Reader Dc 25.001.20432+ (depending on product line)

  1. 1. Verify current Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader version by opening the application and navigating to Help > About Adobe Acrobat (or About Adobe Reader)
  2. 2. For Acrobat/Acrobat Reader version 20.x: upgrade to version 20.005.30763 or later
  3. 3. For Acrobat/Acrobat Reader version 24.x: upgrade to version 24.001.30235 or later
  4. 4. For Acrobat Dc/Acrobat Reader Dc: upgrade to version 25.001.20432 or later
  5. 5. Download the appropriate updated version from the official Adobe website or use the application's built-in update feature (Help > Check for Updates)
  6. 6. Close all Adobe applications before installing the update
  7. 7. Install the update and restart the application
Caveat Standard Adobe update - minimal risk; ensure backup of important PDF files before updating

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Acrobat Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2025-27174 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