CVE-2023-44336: Adobe Acrobat Reader · Use After Free
Affects Adobe Acrobat ReaderSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:54 UTC
- EPSS
- 2.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 83% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 16 Nov 2023
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Acrobat Reader | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
- Monitor Adobe security advisories closely and apply official patches immediately once released to remediate the vulnerability.
- Until patches are available, restrict the opening of PDF files from untrusted or unknown sources through email filtering and endpoint controls.
- Implement application whitelisting or sandboxing for Adobe Acrobat Reader to limit the execution of malicious code.
- Educate users on the risks of opening unsolicited or suspicious PDF attachments and encourage verification before opening.
- Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying anomalous behaviors related to memory corruption exploits.
- Consider using alternative PDF readers with a lower attack surface in high-risk environments until patches are applied.
- Enforce principle of least privilege for users to minimize the impact of code execution under user context.
- Regularly back up critical data and verify recovery procedures to mitigate potential ransomware or destructive payloads delivered via this vulnerability.
Description
Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 23.006.20360 (and earlier) and 20.005.30524 (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.